Too Young to Survive
by RunnerintheMaze
Summary: Newt jumped down into the box, the metal shaking from his weight. He freezes at the sight of the little boy huddled in the corner. No more than five by the looks of it. His dark brown hair was long enough to cover his face, so Newt couldn't tell if he was awake or not. The Greenie was frozen, eyes unwavering as he stared at Newt. "Bloody hell..." Newt whispered.
1. Alexander's Arrival

**Chapter 1: Alexander's Arrival**

 **3rd Pov:**

 **Author's Note: For every chapter we post, we will add a song at the beginning that we think represents the events in the chapter. This chapter's song is Wake Me Up by Avicii. (We tried to put a link, but it wouldn't let us. Sorry.)R & R please! We want to know what you think! (Also, I should probably mention this, there are two people writing this story. Don't ask us how, it's a painful process. But one of us (that would be me) already has an account. It's called FangTobiasPercy, so check me out. And I'll warn you though, my stories are currently on hold.)**

Newt jumps slightly as the buzzer goes off, not realizing that today was the new Greenie's arrival. He shook his head, disregarding the alarm and continuing his trek to the kitchen.

He walks over to Frypan, grinning slightly, "So, what slop are ya' serving us today?" Frypan glared at him, "Nothing yet, did I say it was lunch time?" He said with an edge to his voice. Newt laughed and stole an apple from the counter, turning away from the hairy cook before he could stop him.

He jogged over to the trees, plopping down next to Chuck. "When d'you think lunch'll be ready?" Chuck shrugs, looking back to the Maze doors. He was having a weird time adjusting to Thomas being gone so often; the kid was probably worried for his friend.

Newt bumps his shoulder against Chuck's, smiling reassuringly when the boy looks up at him. Chuck sighs, biting his lip. "I'm just worried for him, ya know? He hasn't even been here for a full month yet!" Newt chuckled, "Thomas is one bloody tough shank." He said, his gaze also wondering towards the Maze entrance.

Chuck smiles gratefully, looking over to the kitchen. "Wonder if Frypan'll make an exception for me." Newt jokingly rolled his eyes, "Well he didn't make one for me, but you can have your go at it." Chuck laughed lightly, standing and looking back to Newt. "You comin' to see me get the food you didn't get?" He challenged, speaking confidently. Newt grins, standing and trailing behind the boy to the kitchen.

They continued their walk to the kitchen when Newt heard the box finally shudder to a stop, the alarm blaring for the second time. Chuck paused but Newt waved him off "You go, I'll go get the Greenie."

Newt runs over to the box, Alby right behind him. Most of the other Gladers all left their stations, running towards the box as well. Newt came to a stop, reaching for one of the box doors and gesturing for Alby to get the other one. They pulled open the heavy metal doors, then Newt jumped down into the box, the metal shaking from his weight.

He freezes at the sight of the little boy huddled in the corner. No more than five by the looks of it. His dark brown hair long enough to cover his face, so Newt couldn't tell if he was awake or not. The boy stiffened, looking at Newt with scared eyes. Newt yanked his hand back, looking around before moving his eyes back to the kid.

The greenie was still frozen, eyes unwavering as he stared at Newt. "Bloody hell…" he muttered as he bent over, crouching on his knees in front of the child before shaking his shoulder softly. The other boys were starting to get restless, looking down into the darkness and starting to wonder about what was going on.

Newt was still stunned by the child, unable to fully process his arrival yet. Alby called down to him in annoyance "Newt! What's goin' on?" The blonde boy blinked, finally snapping out of his trance. He moved a bit closer to the scared boy, "Can you tell me your name?" He said softly. "Who am I? Where am I? What's going on? Who are you?" The boy questions frantically, his eyes filling with fear.

Newt places a hand on his shoulder. "Calm down, calm down. My name's Newt, and you're in a place called the Glade. We'll explain everything soon. Can you tell me your name?" Newt said, repeating his previous question. The boy nods slowly, almost shaking. "Al-Alexander." He stutters out. Newt smiles softly as Alby threw the rope down. Their leader was growing impatient.

Newt stood, offering the boy a hand. The boy took it and Newt helped pull him up. "Okay," Newt said. He gestured to the small loop at the end of the rope. "Can you step into the loop?" Newt asked lightly, "and on my cue, someone will pull you up." He said, as he waited for Alexander's response. The boy hesitantly bobbed his head up and down, secretly afraid he'd be dropped.

Alexander stepped forward into the small circled loop, he put his weight into it and then glanced back at the boy he'd just met. "Okay." He whispered softly, showing he was ready. "Pull it up!" Newt called up to Alby. The rope was then yanked upward, the boy's stomach dropped in fear. He clung to the rope, but soon he was above the ground.

He expected someone to help him off, but they all stood there, jaws dropped. Finally someone snapped out of it and stepped forward, picking him up. Moving him a few inches over, onto the sturdy ground. Alby threw the rope back down waiting for Newt to grab ahold. A few other boys took hold of the rope to pull Newt up. After they felt his weight on the rope, they hefted him above the ground.

They'd been above ground for only a few seconds before Gally began to open his mouth, but Alby had sensed it coming, "Don't you start," he warned Gally. "There'll be a gathering when the runners get back, we talk then. Not now."

Newt held back a chuckle at Alby's words, before looking down to the small boy who clutched his stomach. "Are you hungry?" He asked, and Alexander nodded. Newt looked around at the other boys. "Zart," he called in a flat tone as he stepped forward. "Take Alexander to Frypan for some food." Then Newt leaned in whispering, "Keep him away from the other Gladers for now." Zart nodded and bent down, introducing himself to the little boy. Newt chuckled, it seemed even Zart had a soft spot for the boy.

As Zart walked off towards the kitchen with Alexander, Newt turned to Alby. "What do you think this means? Why would the creators send a little boy into the Glade?" Ably shook his head. "Don't know. But the shank's too young to know everything just yet. Give him some time." Newt nods. "He holding up pretty well, we'll tell him a bit more tomorrow."

It's then that Minho runs out of the maze, straight into the map room. Alby looks to Newt, catching his eye before nodding to the concrete building. Newt nods, running over. The boy's limp put him slightly off balance, but it never slowed him down much.

Newt pulled open the Map Room's door, walking in. Minho whipped around, "Only runners allo- Oh, it's you." He turned back towards the Map he was drawing. Disregarding Newt's presence. "Minho," the blonde boy started, unsure how to tell him of their new Greenie. "I have some strange news…" Minho looked up from the map he was working on. "What is it?" Newt opened his mouth, but then closed it. Hesitating.

"Spit it out Newt." Minho said impatiently. "The Greenie came today," Newt said lightly. "And, what? Was the guy polka-dotted or something?" Minho said sarcastically. Still not taking his eyes of the map. "Well, he's a kid." Minho let out an exasperated sigh "We're all kids! What's your point?" "He's like, 5." Newt said bluntly, the tall dark haired boy blinked in surprise. Finally turning away from his map to met Newt's eye. "Well, that's different..." He muttered.

Newt rolled his eyes, "Yeah. Just a bit." Minho bites his lip, looking up at Newt. "D'you think the shank creators were tryin' to send us a message? Or are they messing with us?" Newt sighed, sitting across from the dark-haired boy. "Don't know. I mean, who would send a bloody toddler into this place? They'd have to have klunk for brains." Minho nodded, stretching, his long run finally hitting him. "What are we gonna do? Alby holding Gathering over this?"

Newt smiled slightly at Minho attitude. "Course he'd holding a bloody gatherin' over this, in about 30 minutes. And you're gonna be there, so ya better get drawing." Newt said, clapping him on the back before turning and heading for the door of the small hut.

"Oh, and Minho?" Said boy turned slightly, "When d'you think Tommy's gonna be back?" Minho rolled his eyes. "Don't know. Probably right before the shuckin' doors close, just to worry you more."


	2. The Gathering

**Chapter 2: The Gathering**

 **3rd Pov:**

 **This chapter's song is... Wherever I go, by One Republic. Sorry for the erratic posting, we'll try to post either every day or every other day. This is also on Wattpad or AO3, though for Wattpad we have about 15 chapter's posted. We took a small break to catch up on that website though. R & R please! Enjoy!**

Newt had walked off, leaving Minho to his own devices. Minho continued to sketch out his section as he thought about recent events. A boy, not a boy, a _toddler_ in the Glade. What had the Creators been thinking? He shook away the thoughts that tumbled around in his head. He was walking over to the kitchens when movement by the doors caught his eye. It wasn't Thomas, but some of the runners were already getting back.

Newt sighed, dreading the upcoming Gathering. He knew Gally would be beside himself with horrible suggestions. When he made it to the kitchen, he had to cover his mouth to stop himself from laughing. Alexander was sitting in the middle of a group of about six boys, all of whom were taking turns attempting to cut up the small piece of chicken on his plate. Newt could tell from small glances that they were only managing to smush it, and by Alexander's face he found this highly amusing.

Newt walked over and placed his hand on Alexander's shoulder, "Hey Xander." He greeted the boy, then he looked up at the gathered boys "Don't ya' have jobs to do?" They nodded, grumbling as they walked off. Newt settled himself next to Alexander, who looked at him with admiration. Newt gave the boy a small smile before continuing, "I need to ask you a few things, is that okay?"

The boy nodded. "Alright," Newt started, "Do you remember anything? Anything at all." _The young boy ran towards him mother giggling, she picked him up as she laughed herself. "I love you baby boy." He smiled happily at his mother "I love you too Mommy."_ Newt poked the boy lightly in the side. "Well do you?" Alexander looked up, making his decision. He only remembered 2 things, and he'd already given up his name. "No, I don't." Alexander said, speaking clearly.

Newt sighed, nodding his head slowly. "Would you like me to help you with that? Considering these shanks can't work a knife apparently." Alexander laughed. "No, I can do it. It was just funny to watch them squirm when they realized they couldn't cut up food." Newt had to fight back laughter at the fact that the young boy could cut better than the teenagers.

It was then that Alby ran up to Newt, nodding towards the homestead and tapping his watch. Newt could tell he was getting agitated. Alby then headed of in another direction, probably off to track down the keepers. Newt sighed, standing and offering his hand to Alexander. "We're going to go and figure out what to do with ya and who's going to watch you during the day, all that fun stuff." Newt said muttering the last part to himself as Alexander nods, smiling slightly. "Okay!"

Newt bit his lip, wondering what to do with the young boy. He then snapped his fingers as a thought dawned on him. Newt turned and headed away, gesturing for the boy to follow. He ran up, and for every one of Newt's steps, he had to take two.

Newt stopped Chuck near the back of the Glade. "Hey, Chuckie!" He called out to the pudgy boy, there's someone I want ya to meet!" Chuck looked to Newt, but his gaze fell to the boy next to him. Who next to Newt, stuck out like a sore thumb. "W-wha-?" Chuck stuttered in confusion. Newt quickly hushed him, not wanting to upset Alexander. "We're holding a Gathering." He said, and Chuck nodded in understanding, "He can hang out over here for a bit." Newt nodded "That'd be the point, thanks Chuck."

As soon as Alexander was safely in Chuck's hands, Newt turned and ran to the homestead. He placed his hand on the door, about to push it open, when he heard the voices from inside. He paused upon hearing them,and let out a loud sigh. This was gonna be horrible. Newt sucked in one more breath before pushing open the door and facing the council of boys in front of him.

Alby was sitting, he head buried in his hands as he looked about ready to tear his hair out. Around him Gally was rallying against the boy. Screaming to anyone that would listen about how the toddler was unknown, he should be put in the Slammer till they knew more. Newt located Minho settled in a seat a few away from Alby. The runner glared at everyone around him. Muttering about idiots as he did so.

Newt pulled a chair closer to him and stepped onto it, "WILL YA SLINTHEADS SHUT YA BLOODY MOUTHS?!" He cried, struggling to raise his voice over the loud ones that screamed above his. Finally they began to settle, taking their places, still muttering among themselves. Newt jumped down from the chair, and then leaned back sitting in his chair as the others did.

Alby shot a thankful glance at his friend, before starting the Gathering as he always did. "I can this Gathering to order." He said lightly. "Newt speaks first, then the rest of ya, then me. Then we vote." Their leader said with an edge to his voice. He was mad with the creators for sending a boy as young as Alexander to the Glade. But he was mostly mad that the boys surrounding him, whom were suppose to be his secondary leaders in their rag tag community, couldn't even attempt to keep themselves together. He let out a heavy breath and looked towards Newt, "care to start?"

"We're not locking him in the Slammer, he's 5. And your sick minds wanna lock him up? We're gonna talk this over, and figure out where, and who he'll sleep with. Because it can't be outside, and it can't be with Gally." He said, sending a glare towards the builder.

"We also have to assign someone to him during the day so he doesn't go out into the Maze. Other than that, we don't have anything to talk about. If he wants to help with the work, he can, but he's five. He's not exactly going to be able to work all day." Newt finished, Alby looked at him. Slightly surprised, he never talked that much. Not even at gatherings.

Regardless, Alby nodded at him, and then wrote down his suggestion. Alby then looked to Zart, the gardener didn't say much, only uttered a few words and then agreed with Newt. That's what most of the Keepers did, until they got to Gally that is.

He stood up when it was his turn, causing their leader to roll his eyes. "He should be put in the Slammer. We've gotten the same thing in that box for 3 years: Teenagers. Then all of a sudden we get a klunkin' toddler? I don't think so. He could be a-" Gally was quickly interrupted by an annoyed Frypan

"You're being paranoid Gally, next thing ya know you'll say the kid's the devil." Frypan earned a dirty look from Alby, "He's a Council member, Fry. His suggestions are just as valuable as yours." Alby said to the cook. Newt nodded, before muttering under his breath, "Even if they _are_ bloody crazy…" Conversations and arguments had erupted through the Council members again. Alby let out an aggravated groan, "Guys! You'll all get a chance to talk. For now shut your holes!"

Alby sighed when the other Keepers finally calmed down, and turned to the keeper next to Zart. Who suggested, they do start working the kid. That they didn't know how long they'd be here, and that he should learn. Alby raised his eyebrows slightly, but wrote down the suggestion. Clint was next, the medjack took a breath before talking, "I kind of agree with everyone," he paused. "Except Gally." He corrected, "I think he should be worked, but not extreme. Just help me and Jeff, or help the Trackhoes for an hour or so a day." He paused for a second beofre continuing. "And I also fully agree with Newt, there's no way he goes to the Slammer."

Alby wrote down his suggestion as he did every else's, Winston went next. "Normally, I wouldn't care too much as long as y'all didn't banish the shank or somethin'. But he can't work with the Slicers, My jobs' killing piggy's, not babysitting squeamish toddlers." He nodded his head, showing he was finished, Alby scoffed in humor before sketching down his suggestion.

After a few other people that agreed with Newt and Clint, It was Frypan's turn, "First off, we are _not_ throwing him in the slammer. 2nd, I just want to state that I agree with the majority.. He should work a bit, no extreme jobs, and he should also be with someone during the day." The cook finished, and watched Alby sketch down his suggestion/

"Okay," Alby started "Minho?" He questioned as he looked towards the runner, "I agree with Fry." He said lightly, Alby quickly wrote something down before moving onto the next keeper, there were no other extreme suggestions. A few more agreed with the other keepers. A few also agreed with Gally, which, everytime without fail, led to Frypan getting mad, people arguing, and Alby and Newt trying to shut them up.

Finally it was time to vote, most Gladers were reasonable voting for Frypans suggestion, it was decided after the vote, that the young boy would work with the Trackhoes most of the time. He would also have to stick next to an assigned glader, and he'd sleep inside the homestead.

Newt nodded at the response, happy with the outcome of the meeting, but before the end of the meeting. Minho asked an obvious question, "So who's he he gonna sleep with?" Alby didn't hesitate to point at Minho, "You ya shank," MInho raised his eyebrows, "Excuse me? I didn't volunteer!" Their leader quickly retorted, "No, ya didn't. But you did insist you get a room in the homestead, and that it also be the biggest room in the homestead. So, your arrogant self gets a child."

Minho opened his mouth to protest but Alby quickly moved on. Newt laughed, earning an annoyed look from MInho. "Zart do you mind watching over Alex tomorrow? Since he'll already be working in the garden?" Alby questioned. "Sure, no problem." Zart responded. He was growing fond of the new arrival. Alby nodded, "Anyone have anything else to say?" Alby's question was met by silence, "Alright, meeting adjourned."

Most of the Gladers filed out of the homestead, except for Minho who hung back a bit. Newt walked over to him, clapping him on the back. Minho didn't look towards him, but began talking, "I was one of the original Glanders, I've been here 3 years. 3 years, and what does Alby make me do? Babysit, I have to babysit." Newt rolled his eyes "You're being dramatic," Minho turned, staring at him as if he were crazy. "I am not, Newt, man. I'm not really sure, but I don't think I was the best with kids before all this." Newt scoffed and began to say something, but the door was pushed opened and Thomas walked in.

Newt glanced at his watch, "10 minutes till they shut, really Tommy?" He said, looking disapprovingly at Thomas. Thomas shrugged and then glanced at Minho's annoyed face before continuing. "So what'd I miss, what was up with the Gathering?"

Minho scowls. "They're makin' me babysit a five year old, that's what." Thomas looks to Newt for help, seeing that Minho was clearly gonna be none. "A little kid came up in the box today," he said bluntly. Thomas's mouth drops open, and he looks around as though the young brunette would be standing there. "You mean… they… how old is he?" Newt sighed, biting his lip. "About five," Newt whispered cautiously, fearing what Thomas's reaction would be. The boy had a tendency to question and become outraged at things beyond his control.

It's wasn't his fault, he's not exactly like the rest of the Gladers. People claiming they remember something was big news, but remembering a Greenie? Newt had been there for 3 years and had never seen such madness. He was surprised Thomas hadn't gone insane from all of the claims people made about him.

Thomas furrowed his eyebrows. "Why would the creators send a little kid up here?" Newt shrugged. "Beats me. Them bloody shanks probably wanted to test us. See how long we could keep a little one alive." Thomas shook his head. "They're psycho."

A beetle blade dashed by at the Gladers feet, Minho glanced down at it. "How'd that shuck thing get in here?" He said attempting to kick at it. Newt rolled his eyes at MInho. "We've never been able to touch em before, that's not gonna change now."

"Guys!" Thomas called out to them, "Can we please focus?" Minho let out a breath of annoyance and Newt returned his gaze to Thomas. "Tommy, we did focus. We had a gathering. There isn't much we can do but see what happens."

Thomas ran his fingers through his hair, looking at Newt perplexed. "Where is the kid right now?" Newt grinned. "He's havin' a bloody grand time with Chuck at the moment." Thomas grinned. "If you keep putting him on babysitting duty, he'll have to give up being a slopper." Newt laughed, and the three of them exited the Homestead and made their way to Chuck.

He'd been where Newt had left them, and when the 3 Gladers made it to the tree, Thomas gasped at the sight. "But… that's not…" "We _told_ you he was young, Tommy." "Yeah, but… I thought you guys were exaggerating. You do have a flare for doing that."

"Because we're such the jokesters? Right?" MInho said mockingly. Newt stepped away from the arguing boys, and towards the younger one. "Hey Xander." He said, playing around with a nickname for the boy. "This is Thomas." He said turning and touching Thomas shoulder, "he also live here," The boy bobbed his head and smiled up at the boy, then turned back to Newt. "Like me?" Newt smiled "Like you."

Thomas smiled at the little boy, crouching and holding out his hand. "So you're the one these idiots have been freaking out about." Alexander smiles, taking the outstretched hand and pulling himself up. "I guess so. Are there any other kids my age here?" Thomas winced slightly. "No, you're the only one. Which makes you super special." Alexander giggled, smiling up at the boy.

He looks around him, frowning slightly. "I heard people talking about work, what will I do?" Newt smiled, crouching next to Thomas. "You'd be planting seeds, but that's only if you want to. We don't want to overwork you, but we also can't just have you running around all day. We need to talk about the rules too."

Before Newt could continue, Minho cleared his throat. Newt chuckled and gestured towards Minho. "And this here, is Minho." Thomas stepped up next to Newt, throwing his arm around the blonde boy. "The biggest idiot of them all." He added on. Minho turned toward Thomas, "Yeah, well this idiot can still kick your butt. So watch it." Thomas laughed and pulled his arm off Newt, shoving Minho.

Alexander giggled at their quarrel, drawing their attention back to him. Minho nodded at him, "Hey kid, just so ya' know, you'll be bunkin' with me tonight." Alexander smiled shyly at Minho, "Where do we sleep?" Newt spoke up, "You'll be sleeping in there." He said gesturing at the deformed Homestead.

Alexander looked at it curiously and Minho stepped forward, "Come on, I'll show you." The boy walked off with Minho, leaving Newt, Thomas, and Chuck standing there. Thomas grinned before looking up to Newt. "You think this'll be good or bad?" Newt smiled slightly. "I think the bloody shank's got us all wrapped around his shuck finger, that's what I think." Thomas smiled, "I'd second that." Newt then headed off to help the Trackhoes, leaving Thomas and Chuck alone by the trees.

Thomas grinned at Chuck. "Look's like you're not the youngest anymore," he said teasingly. Chuck grinned back, "looks like you're not the Greenie anymore." Thomas laughed, motioning for Chuck to follow him. They walked together over to the Homestead.


	3. The Doors

**Chapter 3: The Doors**

 **3rd Pov:**

 **Author's Note: This chapter's song is (drum roll please) Run Boy Run by Woodkid.**

Minho gestured to the bed, "you can have it, Alby'd probably kill me if I took it…" He said speaking to the young boy. The boy bobbed his head up and down, then leapt up on the bed as Minho continued to talk. He looked around the room, already distracted from the older boy's words. Minho stopped, staring at the small boy as he jumped off the bed, walking over to the bookshelf in the corner. It held no books, instead there were dusty knick-knacks Minho had gathered.

Alexander grinned, picking up what looked to be a wooden car. Minho sighed, snapping his fingers to get Alexander's attention. "What are you doing?" Alexander smiled. "I remember… I used to have a toy car." Minho's jaw dropped, "You remember-" He struggled to finish the sentence as he tried to wrap his mind around what the boy had said.

Minho was, as he'd pointed out earlier, one of the original Gladers, and he knew that no one ever remembered anything. He looked very serious as he questioned the boy. "Are you sure?" The boy nodded and Minho shook his head in disbelief. He'd have to tell Alby and Newt about it later.

Minho grabbed a jacket off the hook on his door, he turned and passed it to Alexander. "It's cold at night sometimes…." He muttered as Alexander slipped on the both turned and headed towards the door, Minho pushed it opened and held it open for the young boy. After he went through Minho did the same, and the door clanged shut behind them. They crossed the short hallway and made their way down the creaky steps.

The 2 walked out into the Glade together, Minho glanced at his watch and saw that the doors would be closing soon. He frowned, that would sure scare the kid to death. "Just a warning," he said looking over to Alexander. "The doors are going to close soon, and they're kind of loud." Alexander nodded while frowning. "Doors?" Minho pointed to the opening in the walls. "Those walls move to close before night." Alexander bit his lip, suddenly anxious, he looked up at Minho. "Are they to keep the people in?"

"Well," Minho started, he then hesitated, unsure of how to continue. _How do you tell a 5 year old about Grivers?_ He then shook his head. "It doesn't matter, don't worry about it." Alexander nodded, but there was one question that he couldn't quite push away. "Are their monsters out there?" He asked. Minho looked down at the young boy, unsure of how to answer. He didn't want him to worry about them. Nobody as young as he was should have to worry about true monsters. And Grievers were no non-existent, monster under the bed. They were real, and MInho had first hand experience of how truly horrid they were. But Alexander deserved the truth.

Minho touched Alexander's shoulder and paused. He turned and looked up at the older boy. "Yes," Minho said, "there are monsters out there." Alexander's eyebrows ruffled together as he waiting for Minho to say more. "But we won't let them harm you, we won't let them touch you."

Minho suddenly forgot who he was talking to, as his anger toward the creators knotted his stomach. "Because how dare they! How dare those shucks do this to you!" Minho cried out, his voice grew louder from word to word as the anger he felt spiraled out of him. And then, he felt a hand on his shoulder, he turned to see Frypan, who had a wary look in his eyes as he glanced from Minho to Alexander.

The young boy wasn't afraid, but confused. Where was he? The monsters Minho spoke of pulled to mind big giants that would crush villages. Was that who he was yelling at? The giants? He let his gaze drift back up to the man who had cooked him lunch. He looked to be scolding Minho.

"Why are you talking like that to him? I thought we agreed he shouldn't know anything yet?!" Frypan whisper yelled to the runner. Minho sighed, shaking his head. "The kid asked, and he deserved to know." Frypan glared. "So what? Are you just going to tell him anything he wants to know? Why don't we just tell him about the Maze as well then, maybe let him be a runner. Ay?"

Minho clenched his hands into fists, glaring at Frypan. "Don't get your panties in a twist! I didn't tell him klunk! You just gave away more than I've said in the past three hours!" Minho turned,about to grab Alexander and pull him away from the cook, when he realized the spot Alexander had stood, was empty. He froze mid-step, eyes scanning the Glade. "Where'd he go?" Frypan stopped as well, eyes widening. "Oh no… we need to find him. Before Newt and Alby find out." Frypan said, muttering the last part. They both began walking briskly towards the homestead.

Frypan bumped Minho's arm, nodding towards Thomas. "D'you think they'd help?" Minho shook his head quickly. "I love him, but Thomas is to much of a goodie-two-shoes, and Chuck'll side with him." Frypan frowns. "How're we supposed to find the shuckin' kid?" Minho took a deep breath, looking around the Glade. "Split up. You check the gardens, I'll check the kitchens. We'll make our way around, but if you see Newt, Xanders with me. And vise versa." Frypan nods, heading off to the gardens.

Minho jogged over to the kitchen, he began to rummage through everything, searching for the young boy. And then he heard the door slam shut, "Hey, where's Alexander." Minho let out a silent groan, he'd recognize that accent anywhere.

Newt scoffed, "well, it's nice to see you too." Minho rolled his eyes, discreetly looking around the room. "Well?" Newt said, drawing Minho's attention back to him. "Oh, uh… He's with Frypan. By the gardens, probably." Newt frowned, sighing and walking out the door. Minho slumped against the counter in relief, he had to hurry. Hopefully Frypan had already found the boy. After looking through a few more rooms, Minho stepped outside, he looked around the Glade. And then headed towards the homestead, looking to search there next.

The doors began to rumple shut, Minho didn't think anything of it until a horrifying thought dawned upon him. Could Alexander be in the Maze? Oh no… Just as it had occurred to him, Newt appeared by his side. "Where Xander? Frypan said he was with you, you said he was with Fry. What going on?" Minho turned towards his friend, "Newt." He started, "we lost him."

Newt's gaze went from a friendly, to dead murderous in .2 seconds. "You did what?" Frypan ran over, sensing the tension. With his eyes looking everywhere but Newt. "It was partially my fault. Minho and I were fighting and I guess the kid ran off." Newt looked from Minho to Frypan and, seeing they weren't joking, ran off to the edge of the Maze, freezing before he could step off onto the stone. He looked blankly down at the ground, shaking slightly. He couldn't do it. A kid's life was in danger, and he couldn't do it. It was against the rules, and terrifying. The dilemma was in place, Alexander was just a little boy. Newt couldn't leave him… But he couldn't take one step into the Maze, couldn't take one step through the _**doors.**_

Minho ran up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder, and pulling him back. "Newt…" the blonde looked up at him, the terror plain in his eyes. "I can't…" Minho nodded. "I know." Frypan ran up then, grinning from ear to ear. "I found him." Newt's eyes snapped up, looking around as though he would materialize in front of him. "Where?" Frypan grinned even wider. "He was a few feet in the Maze at the South Door. But he ran in once he heard the doors rumble." Newt sighed in relief before glaring at Minho. "This isn't over." He ran over to the South Door to meet up with Alexander and to check him over, leaving a satisfied Frypan and a pale Minho behind.

Minho sighed, trudging slowly up to the homestead and climbing the stairs to his room. He closed the door behind him, peeling off his jacket before collapsing into his bed, and falling asleep. The Maze was nothing compared to what he'd have to face in Newt tomorrow.


	4. The Tour

**Chapter 4: The Tour**

 **3rd Pov:**

 **Song: I Can Show You The World, from Aladdin**

Minho groans as he stretches, sighing before remembering last night. _Alexander_. Where… he rolls over to find the boy sleeping peacefully on the chair in the corner of the room, the wooden car he'd discovered the day before clutched tightly in his hand. The runner sighs again, knowing that today was going to be a long day. He stands, walking over to the chair, before shaking the kid awake. "Come on Xander, get up, Alby's giving you the tour today."

Alexander yawned, and then stretched out his legs. Minho grimaced as he remembered his promise to give Alexander the bed. He'd have to let the builders know he needed another one. But with Gally being the keeper, they weren't likely to get it.

"Minho," said a small voice from behind him. He turned and looked to the small boy. "Are you mad at me?" Minho smiled, laughing lightly at the boy's concern. "No," he began. "But next time don't run off like that. You scared me and Frypan to death." Minho said, suddenly turning serious. Alexander's eyes drifted down to his feet, the little boy looked ashamed but nodded. "We're sorry though, we got caught up fighting, and we shouldn't have done that in front of you." Minho said, as he lowered himself onto the arm of the chair Alexander sat on.

He clapped the boy on the back, "now, let's get going, like I said, lots of stuff to do today." Alexander nodded, smiling as he went down the steps. Alby was waiting for him at the bottom, ready to get the tour over with. "Come on, and no questions 'til the tour's over with." Minho sighed dramatically, looking his leader straight in the eye. "Alby, the kid's like, four. He's gonna have questions." Alby glared. "Well he can shut his shuckin' mouth 'til I'm done. Then _you_ can answer his questions." Minho rolled his eyes, knowing the Glader meant well.

"Alright then, let's get on with it," Alby said gesturing for Alexander to follow him. The boy ran away from Minho and over to Alby. Their leader looked blankly at the kid for a moment, thinking over how strange it was that he was here. He shook away the thoughts, instead thinking about where to start the tour. It only took him a few second to decide that the deadheads would be a good place to start. That'll teach the kid to not go into the Maze.

They walked over to the deadheads. Once there, Alby stopped a few feet from the first grave stone. " _David Garcia,"_ the carvings in the stone read. Alby sighed looking at it, he hated going to the deadheads. He'd known every one of the boys buried there, and though some of them had died from pure stupidity, they'd all died in cold blood. They'd be alive if the creators hadn't trapped them in in here.

Alexander's eyes widened as he realized what the stones marked. Alby paused, wondering if that had been too much for the kid. Just as he was about to pull the boy away from the deadheads, Alexander did something none of the Gladers before had. He moved, walking between the headstones and reading the names that were sketched into the stone out loud. Every single one. Alby stood there, confused as Alexander rounded back to him. "Did they all die here?" The boy asked quietly. Alby nodded, forgetting the no questions rule for a moment.

Alexander stood there in silence for a moment, taking a deep breath before looking sincerely up at Alby. "I won't go into the Maze again. I promise." Alby nodded, leading him away from the deadheads and to the Gardens. Where Zart was already hoeing away at the land.

He resumed his tour, droning on about how they were self-sufficient, and how the box brought up the supplies they needed every week. Alexander kept quiet, absorbing all the information being thrown at him.

Alby took a deep breath, leading him over to the kitchen, the blood house out of the question. He lead him around the rest of the Glade, ending at the Box. Alexander eyed the Box warily, knowing that it was what brought him here. Alby started about how the box was what gave them what they needed, talking about how they could make requests as well.

Alexander nodded, soaking in the last bit of information. "Well," Alby started, "I think that's about it." He muttered, "now's the time if you have any questions." Alexander shook his head, overall he didn't have much to ask. And anything he did have, he would ask Newt later. "Hell," Alby started, "you're easier to deal with than most of the teenagers we get."

Alexander smiled. "There's not much to ask, and anything I would bring up I'd find out later today anyways." _Except about the box_. He didn't know why, but the box seemed important. When he was in the Maze, he saw the silver plaque. World In Catastrophe Killzone Experiment Department. World in catastrophe…. Does that mean there something wrong with the world outside the Glade? And he didn't want to think about the Killzone Experiment Department part of it. And the irony that it spelled W.I.C.K.E.D. wasn't lost on him either. He knew that his I.Q. was higher than normal, and that was probably why he was here, but he didn't have time to worry about that.

He looked around, noticing that all the Gladers were working on something, whether it be planting seeds or expanding the Homestead. He would be doing that, or something like it as well tomorrow, and he knew he'd have a lot of questions then. The only question he wasn't sure if he should ask was what the barn in the back corner was used for. He saw people going in and out of it, so he knew it wasn't abandoned, but even if there wasn't anyone near it, he'd know they use it. They didn't seem like people who would build a random barn just for fun. Another was what was the concrete building by the box used for? He'd seen Minho go in there before, but Alby hadn't mentioned what it was used for. Oh well.

Chuck walked up then, smiling at him. "You hungry?" Alexander nodded, smiling slightly in return before walking off with him to the kitchens. Once Alby saw that Alexander was safely in Chuck's hands, he also walked off.

Soon the boys arrived at the kitchen, Frypan was there, getting ready to start cooking lunch for the Gladers when they walked in. "Hey, Frypan? D'you think you could spare some food for Alexander an' me?" Frypan glowered at him, but threw two apples their way anyways. He shooed them out of the kitchen, slamming the door behind them. "Wow. Normally he just ignores me. I guess he's being nice 'cause it's his and Minho's fault you got into the Maze."

Alexander bit his lip in confusion, tossing the apple up into the air before catching it and taking a big bite. "Why was that such a big deal?" Chuck paused mid-bite looking at him before looking down at his shoes. "You know how the doors to the Maze close at night?" Alexander nodded, leaning forward as he realized he was finally getting somewhere. "Well… they, uh, I guess they didn't want you out there over night. You could get lost, you know." He almost groaned. What weren't they telling him? Why was it such a big deal?

Chuck noticed his distress, "look," He began, ready to be honest with the boy, "we just can't tell you all that much yet. You'll find out when you find out, try not to let it worry you." Alexander sighed, and took another bite of his apple. "How long have you been…" He hesitated unsure of what to call the place. "In the Glade?" Chuck finished for him. The boy nodded. "Well, I've only been here a few months. I was the Greenie before-" "Greenie?" Alexander injected into the conversation, interrupting Chuck. "It mean's the newbie, or the new guy." Chuck explained, unfazed by the interruption. "Anyways, I was the Greenie before Thomas, and we get a new Greenie every month, without fail." Alexander nodded, storing the information away for later.

"Where's Thomas? And Minho?" Chuck's eyes snapped up at their names, and the chubby kid froze. "They didn't tell you?" Alexander shook his head, worried. "No, why?" Chuck frowned. "It's not important, they'll be back before nightfall." Alexander nodded, deciding to not push for more information.

Okay. Where will I work tomorrow?" Chuck sighed, this was something he could answer. "You'll probably start out in the Gardens, and you'll be doing whatever Zart thinks you can do. " Alexander nodded. "Where do you work?" Chuck winced, looking down at his shoes. "I'm a slopper. I'm not good at any of the jobs we have, so I just… clean up after everyone else."

"Hey," Chuck said brightly, directing the subject away from his job. "We should come up with a nickname for you. Alexander is a bit of a mouthful to shout across the Glade." The boy smiled, liking the idea of a nickname. He was already 'Xander' to some, but regardless, he waiting for Chuck to come to a conclusion about what to call him. "Hmm….." He muttered, thinking out loud, as he shortened Alexander's name in various ways.

Chuck smiled as he settled on one, "what about Alec?" He asked lightly. Alexander nodded once again, "I like it!" The boy said happily. Chuck smiled back at his new friend, "Alec it is."

The boys both settled into a comfortable silence, Alexander thought of the new friends he was making. Though he'd only been there for a day, he was beginning to almost enjoy life in the Glade. Other boys had told him he was taking it better than a lot of the teenagers they got, maybe it was because he was younger. Alexander refused to focus on the negative, he was here, and he'd made some friends, and Frypan was a good cook that fed him daily. That was what he chose to focus on.


	5. Alexander's Questions

**Song: The Days by Avicii. This one stumped us for a while...**

Alexander woke to scuffling, Minho was up and moving around. He watched silently from the bed as the Glader put on a jacket, unzipping a backpack and looking inside before nodding and closing it. It was only when he swung the bag up and onto his shoulder did Alexander say anything.

"Where are you going?" Alexander asked in a tired voice. Minho glanced over before stepping over towards the door and placing his hand on the handle. "I'm a runner. I run in the Maze. We map it, try to find a way out." Alexander's eyes widened when he remembered what Minho had said about the monsters. There are monsters in the Maze, and now Minho's running through it. Alec jumped up, running to Minho and grabbing his arm.

"You can't! What about the monsters?" Minho's eyes also widened, but his in surprise. "The monsters… only come out at night." He said. Alexander bit his lip. "But what if you aren't back in time?" Minho rolled his eyes. "I'm the fastest Runner out there. I'm so fast, they made me the Keeper of the Runners." Alexander giggled, the name sounded funny. Minho pouted slightly. "Don't laugh at me! It's a job only someone really responsible could do!" This time the chuckling came from behind him

He whipped around to find Thomas behind him. "If was the case you'd have been fired already." Minho glared. "Why aren't you out running already?" Thomas rolled his eyes. "Uh, you told me the first few days that I'd be running with you?"

Minho shook his head, as he looked to Thomas. "How come you need babysitting, but Alexander here doesn't?" Thomas rolled his eyes, "will you hurry up? Come on, the doors are gonna open soon." Thomas then turned, jogging out of the Homestead. Minho rolled his eyes as he listened to Thomas's heavy feet pound down the stairs. He looked back to Alexander, acknowledging their previous conversation. "Listen," he started, settling next to him on the bed. "I'll be okay, and so will Thomas. Alright?" Minho said. Alexander nodded slowly still unsure about the whole ordeal.

Minho bit his lip, but knew there was nothing more he could say. "Come on," he said putting out his hand for the boy to grab. "I'll take you to Newt." Alexander secured his hand tightly around Minho's, and together they walked out from the Homestead.

Minho found Newt at the Gardens, talking with Zart about what Alexander was going to be doing and for how long. "Newt! I have to go, can you stay with Alec?" Newt nodded, looking at their linked hands questioningly. "He- ah, he's upset because he doesn't want the monsters in the Maze to get me." Newt smirked, nodding his head waiting as the boy moved to stand with the blonde.

Minho turned to leave, making it halfway to the Door before something wrapped around his waist. He looked down to see two pale arms encircling his waist, and Alexander buried his face in the back of his shirt. "Be careful and please come back tonight." Minho smiled slightly, patting Alexander's arm before the boy let him go. "I will, don't worry." Then he turned and ran to the doors of the Maze where Thomas stood. They both waited for a few minutes. And soon a loud rumbling filled the Glade as the doors inched themselves open.

Newt took a few steps forward to where Alexander was standing. The boy looked off towards the Maze. The blonde boy sighed, "I'm gonna tell you a secret." He said gesturing for the young boy to follow him as he walked towards the back of the Glade. "You get lazy, you get sad. Start givin' up. Plain and simple." Newt said, repeating what he'd said to many other Gladers. "That's why I try to keep working, because I hate it when Tommy and Minho leave. But you also gotta trust the person, you just need to trust the runner and their instinct out there. Tommy and Minho are smart. They'll be okay." Newt finished, hoping what he said helped.

Alexander smiled at the boy's words, but then, once again began to push for more information. "What monsters are out there? What do they look like?" Newt frowned. "We call 'em Grievers and that's all you need to bloody know. No sense in scarin' yourself half to death over somethin' you'll probably never deal with." Alexander sighed. "Who put us here?" Newt's eyebrows raised at that. "Alby didn't tell you?" Alexander crossed his arms. "Why does everyone keep doing that?!." Newt grinned. "We call 'em the Creators, but we've no clue to who they are." Alexander nodded.

"Why are we here?" Newt sighed this time. "Don't know." He said letting his gaze drift around the open space. "How do we get out?" Alexander questioned again. "We don't know that either." Newt was starting to feel small, not knowing the answer to any of Alexander's questions. He shook off the feeling, and turned around heading back towards the Gardens. Alexander quickly followed after him.

Soon the boys were within a few feet of the Gardens again, Newt reached to the ground and picked up a hoe. He was about to show the boy what to do when there was a loud cry from the other side of the Glade. "NEWT!" Newt pivoted a bit, looking off in the direction. "They can't go 5 seconds without needing my help can they…." He muttered with a sigh. He motioned towards a nearby Glader, whom Alexander didn't know. "Brenden, do you mind helping Alexander here?" The boy Alexander now knew as Brenden, walked over.

"What would I be helping with?" Newt shook his head, "it doesn't matter what you have him do, but get him started on some work in the Gardens." Brenden nodded, and took the hoe from Newt. The blonde boy clapped him on the back, and then waved at Alexander before walking away. Alexander watched Newt walk off for a second, and then turned and looked to Brenden.

"Okay," Brenden started awkwardly. "All you need to do, is as I make a hole drop the seed in and cover it up. Then, when we're done with that, we'll water it." Alexander nodded, taking the bag of seeds Brenden handed him before watching as the boy kneel down and dig the hoe into the ground. He waits before dropping a seed in, kicking the dirt over it with the toe of his shoe.

They continued like so for a while, even though he was just dropping in the seed, Alexander grew tired. But he continued to follow after Brenden, drop the seed, kick the dirt. Drop… Kick…. Drop…. Kick…. And finally after around 20 minutes more, Brenden finally passed him a water satchel. Alexander held it right over his lips, and poured it down his throat. The cool liquid quenched his thirst, refreshing him completely.

Brenden sighed, hanging his head as he started to trudge away. "Where are you going?" Brenden looked at him. "To water the plants you need about five buckets of water that you have to get from the Homestead." Alexander grinned. "I can do it!" He took off running to the Homestead, coming back slowly with a bucket of water held in both hands. He gave it to Brenden then ran back for another one. After three more trips he sat down, panting softly.

Brenden smiled at the boy's enthusiasm, he was currently pouring the third bucket of some planets while Alexander sat of the ground. He touched the boy's shoulder lightly. "Go take a break," he said to Alexander. The boy smiled gratefully up at Brenden. "Thank you." Brenden nodded and hefted up another bucket, going back to his work. Meanwhile Alexander pushed himself up and walked grudgingly towards the kitchen where Frypan would hopefully provide him with more water.

When he was almost halfway to the kitchen, somebody ran up next to him. "Yo! You're the new Greenie!" Alexander hesitated, unsure of what to say. The boy noticed his hesitation and paused, "...right?" Alexander quickly shook himself out of the small trance, and nodded at the boy. He hadn't meant to be rude, but this boy seemed different from the others. He was tall with a muscular build, and spoke with an accent that was different from Newt's.

The boy stuck out his hand, seeming to be very friendly. "I'm Travis," he said lightly. Alexander stuck out his own hand and lightly gripped Travis's, "Alexander." He said, suddenly very shy. Travis smiled slightly, walking with Alec to the kitchen. "What're you doing tomorrow? They're not giving you a job are they?" Alexander nodded. "I'm gonna try everything out, and whatever I like I'll be doing. I just won't be working as hard as the rest of you." Alexander finished with a small smile.

Travis nodded as they approached the kitchen, upon their entering Frypan immediately stepped forward shaking a finger at Travis. "Nope." He said ushering Travis out, and then slamming the kitchen door. Him and Alexander were both silent for a few seconds, before Frypan realized he'd also kicked out Alexander. He pushed open the door and grabbed Alexander, pulling him in.

Alexander looked to Frypan in confusion, "why'd you shut him out?" He asked. Frypan shook his head, "he's always takin' my food. And it's not appreciated." He said bluntly. Alexander nodded, and then remembered why he'd come. "Can I have some water?" He asked lightly. Frypan nodded and snatched a cup from the cupboard. He began filling the glass and then passed it to Alexander, who quickly drained it. Alexander leaned back against a counter, "what's for dinner?" The boy asked curiously.

"Well for the other Gladers, some unknown meat Winsten provided. For you," he paused. "I decided to cook somethin' special. It bein' ya first day workin' and all." Excitement filled Alexander. "What are you making?!" He cried happily. Frypan frowned. "You'll find out later, but for now, out with you. You can't see it."

Alexander skipped out, smiling at Travis. "What'd he say?" Alexander's grin widened. "He's making me something different for dinner." Travis's jaw dropped. "What?" Alexander giggled. "But he won't let me see what it is!"Travis shook his head. "Lucky!"

"Hey!" Alexander turned to see Minho waving him over. He ran over, smiling at the Runner. "See? Told you I'd be back!" Alexander huffed. "Yeah, I know." Minho gasped. "Do we have another sassy one with us?" Alexander laughed at that. Minho smiled, waving for the boy to follow him.

"Come on, we're gonna see if Gally'll give us another bed." Alexander nodded, following the other Glader to find Gally "Gally!" The builder looked up from what he was working on and sighed. "What now?" Minho glared. "We need another bed." Newt walked over then, ready to stop a fight if it were to break out. Everyone knew Minho and Gally weren't the best of friends. Gally snorted at his request. "You think I have time for that? Because I don't think so. Beside, can't he just sleep on the floor?"

Minho glared, eyes flashing to Newt before hardening towards Gally. Newt jumped in before Minho could throw the first punch. He placed his hand directly on his friend's chest and pushed him back. He crossed his arms, facing Gally. "You'll make him the bed Gally, and if you don't, well I can guarantee you won't hold a place on the counsel anymore." Newt said, pulling his rank on him.

Gally took a step back, clearly defeated. He turned away and yelled toward another builder, the other builder gathered up some wood in his arms,and they began the bed. Meanwhile, Newt let out an aggravated sigh. Turning to face Minho once again, "who knew that shank'd make that big of a deal out of a bed?" Minho began to reply, but stopped when his attention was drawn away from Newt and to the young boy standing next to him.

Alexander sniffled, trying to hide the tears when he saw the older boys had noticed them. Newt immediately squatted down next to him, and Minho followed only a few second later. Both of the Gladers shared a nervous look, they weren't sure how to consol such a young child. Minho bit his lip, and patted the ground next to him. Alexander saw what he wanted and sat down.

"Alec," Newt started softly, "you can't let Gally get to you." Minho nodded at his friend's comment, before interjecting his own knowledge. "It's not you that upset him, you didn't do anything. It's his own problem." Alexander nodded, he was beginning to feel a bit better. It was then when he felt a hand on his shoulder, he looked up to see Thomas.

"What's going on?" The runner questioned, looking to Newt and Minho for answers. "Gally's bein' a shank, that's what's going on." Newt said, standing up as he talked. Thomas scoffed, "course he is. Been there, done that." He settled down across from Minho, who was still looking over to Alexander.

He finally broke his gaze away from Alexander when Thomas took his turn at fixing the damage Gally'd done on the boy. "Trust me Alec. Gally isn't nice to anyone. Not unless they're as ugly as he is." Thomas said, smiling a bit at his last words. Alexander giggled, also smiling.

Newt held out a hand towards Alexander, but Minho reached out a took the hand instead. He began to pull himself up, but Newt quickly dropped him, as if he were dead weight. "Bloody hell, Minho.." He muttered, as Alexander laughed at the fallen Minho. The dark haired boy looked up to Newt, with a sorrowful expression written on his face, pretending to be hurt with his hand pressed dramatically against his chest.

Newt rolled his eyes and offered Alexander a hand, trying again to help him up. Alexander gripped Newt's hand and let himself be pulled up. He was feeling better, no longer worried about what Gally had said.

Newt placed a hand on Alexander shoulder. "So, what now Xander?" Alexander frowned at the nickname, "everyone else calls me Alec." He said lightly, "yeah, well, to me you're Xander." Newt said, He then turned sharing a look with Thomas. "Where do ya thinking Tommy here got his nickname?" He asked lightly, proving his point. Alexander smiled at the blonde boy. "I'll allow it," he said, deciding he liked how Newt called him 'Xander'. Minho laughed at the boy's comment and Newt smiled.

Thomas looked off into the distance for a second. "Hey guys," he said, still with a distant look in his dark. "It's a rare sighting of Frypan outside the walls of his kitchen." Alexander suddenly remembered what Frypan had earlier told him about his mystery meal. Alexander took a few steps away from the surrounding boys, and towards Frypan. "I think he's here for me…" Alexander murmured. He waved at Newt, Thomas, and Minho, before running off to Frypan.

Frypan smiled at his approaching silhouette, he was really starting to like the kid. Once Alexander made it to the cook he practically bounced with excitement, "is my meal done?" Frypan's smile grew as he gestured for Alexander to follow him. He led him back to the kitchen, where Alexander climbed up onto a tall stool, and waited. Frypan picked up a square plate off of the counter and set it down in front of the child

In front of Alexander laid what looked like a miniature cake. It was quite simple, just a basic white cake. But what Alexander liked most, was the frosted top. It was blue, and for some reason the color seemed like a happy one. He decided that blue was his favorite color, and then looked up to the cook to share his thoughts. "Blue's my favorite color." He said, the smile still present on his face.


	6. I Wanna be a Runner!

**Author's Note: Hey guys! Thanks for all the reviews! We love hearing from you. So keep the reviews and favorites coming, and have a great day/night. This chapter's song is Don't You Worry Child by Swedish House Mafia**

Alexander groaned as he woke, his arms and legs hurt. He turned over, almost falling out of the bed before opening his eyes to Minho's sleeping figure. Minho had slept in the chair that night, and had promised to sleep there until Alexander bed was ready. He looked out the small window that Minho had opened the night before, seeing the sun attempting to peek out over the Maze. Minho wouldn't be awake for another hour or so.

Alexander got up, trudging down the steps, jumping over the squeaky bottom one. He opened the door to the Homestead, stepping outside where there were boys littered around sleeping. He picked his way to the kitchens, figuring no one would yell at him if he just got a cup of water. He pulled the handle on the door, half surprised that it wasn't locked. When he opened it and stepped inside, the reason became clear. Frypan was standing by one of the counters, frozen halfway through cutting up an apple. "What're you doing in here this early?"

Alexander jumped, flushing as he looked down at his shoes. "I was thirsty," he mumbled. Frypan smiled softly, motioning him closer. "Close the door behind you. I was going to have you come work with me preparing lunch, but you can help now. The water's over there," he motioned to the corner of the room where a small beat up faucet was sitting in the counter-top. "Cups are in the cupboard above the sink."

Alexander walked over, reaching up as far as he could and groaning in frustration when he couldn't reach the handle. Frypan chuckled, kicking a stool his way. The boy smiled sheepishly, grabbing it and carrying the wooden stool over to the sink. He climbed on top of it, reaching out to open the cupboard and pulling out a grey plastic cup. He moved the stool out of the way before turning the water on, watching as it filled up halfway before turning the faucet off.

Frypan continued to chop up apples into thin slices while Alec sipped at his water, finishing it and putting it in the sink before walking over next to Frypan. The cook nodded at him before saying, "Go to the refrigerator, and grab the bag of grapes in the bottom shelf. Set them next to the sink. Alec did as he was told, pushing his stool next to the sink. "Okay now turn the faucet on, and wash the grapes."

Alexander was halfway through the bag, and Frypan had finished cutting up the apples and was starting to peel oranges when the door creaked open. A few other Gladers stumbled in, Travis being one of them. "Hey Frypan, Alec," He said before opening the fridge and pulling out a jug of milk, waiting until the boys had pulled out their supplies before closing it and setting up by Alec. He opened the cupboard above Alec's head, the boy ducking slightly so he wouldn't be hit with the door before pulling out the rest of the cups. He started pouring milk, filling each cup two thirds of the way before moving them over to a ledge jutting out of the wall.

"What's that for?" Alexander asked. All of the counters had cabinets above and under them. "The wood above the ledge swings up for the other Gladers when we're ready for them," Travis replied. Alec's eyes widened. "It moves?" Travis grinned. "Eah. You'll see soon enough. They all wake up to it, even though it's almost silent. It's crazy."

Alexander grinned, turning when the door opened yet again. Minho was there this time, ready to leave. "Hey, you guys seen Alec? I was leaving but he's gone…" his eyes landed on the boy and he visibly relaxed. "Hey…" Minho stepped in, closing the door behind him, as the scent from the kitchens was waking the Gladers. "Don't leave like that without telling me, or Newt. Okay? You freaked me out."

Alexander nodded. "You were sleeping, and I didn't want to wake you. I was only going to get a glass of water then come back, but Frypan said I could help him now instead of during lunch." Minho nodded. "Well, I'm going now. I'll see you in about seven hours, okay?" Alec nodded, hopping off the stool and running over to give Minho a hug. Minho smiled slightly, "Is this going to be a thing now?" Alec grinned, nodding.

Minho's smile widened, "I have to go now. Bye." Alexander sighed. "Bye," he mumbled glumly. It was Minho's turn to sigh. "I'll be fine," he says, crouching down to Alexander's height. "I promise." Alexander smiled. "Pinky promise?" Minho chuckled, holding out his hand. "Pinky promise." Alexander giggled, hugging Minho one more time before running over and hopping up on the stool. Minho smiled softly, standing as the door opened. Thomas poked his head in, raising an eyebrow at Minho's smile. "You comin'?" Minho nodded. "Yeah, had to find Alec first." Thomas nodded, leaving with Minho.

Alexander continued rinsing grapes, finishing just as Frypan walked over. "Okay, now all you have to do is count off five grapes for each plate," he said, motioning to the plates being set on the ledge. There were already seven plates, and by the time he had finished putting the grapes on those plates there were three more. Once about twenty plates were ready they opened the window, waiting as the Gladers woke and stumbled over. They each grabbed a glass of milk and a plate of five grapes, two apple slices, and a piece of toast.

The plates were going on the ledge as fast as they were being picked up, and soon there was only five plates left. Travis, Frypan, and the two other boys, Adam and James, sat at the ledge eating. Frypan looked at him, motioning for him to eat too. And he did, finishing before any of the other boys. Frypan chuckled, pushing an apple slice and his grapes onto Alexander's plate.

The boy ate that too, standing and putting his plate in the sink. "Okay, now you go find Newt while we clean up." Alexander nodded. "I don't think I'd like that part." Frypan laughed. "None of us do." The boy walks out the door, going to find Newt. He looks around the Glade for a while, finding the boy in the Gardens.

"What're you doing here? I thought you'd still be with Frypan?" Newt questioned. Alexander shakes his head. "They're cleaning up, and they told me to come find you." Newt nodded, realizing having a kid clean knives probably wasn't the best idea. "Have you worked with the Med-Jacks yet?" Alexander shakes his head, waiting as Newt flags down a tall blonde boy, telling him to show Alec what they do. "Xander, this is Clint. Keeper of the Med-Jacks, and you're gonna be hanging out with him for the day." Alec nods, walking with Clint to the homestead, to the top floor where five Gladers lay in separate curtained off beds.

"Okay," Clint started, "today, all we're doing is changing bandages on a broken ankle, and feeding them at lunch time. Not much else to do but wait for the medicine to work after that. Though since you're too young to help with the ankle, you'll cut bandages, and go get the food when it's ready. Okay?" Alexander nodded, walking over to a bed with a Glader lying down, awake but not moving much. "You sit here," Clint said, pulling up a chair, "and when I give you this roll of gauze, cut them as long as your forearm, okay?" He gave another nod, and then began.

The Keeper gave him two rolls, and the young boy spent the day until lunch cutting the rolls into even, nice strips. When Clint said it was time for him to go get the food he was glad for a chance to stretch his legs, running back and forth between the kitchens and the Homestead many times for the patients and the Med-Jacks.

Soon he was sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall as he ate a PB&J, and an apple. But before he knew it, he was up again. Alexander was getting the gauze wet when movement outside the window caught his eye. There was a Runner coming back through the door, the usual one, the one Minho and Thomas use.

And the runner was Thomas, Minho not far behind. Clint walked over to see what he was looking at gasping when he realized what time it was. "You can go now, I didn't realize how late it was." Alexander nods, skipping a few steps on his way down the stairs. He runs outside just in time to see Minho and Thomas enter the concrete building in the corner. He walks over, wondering what the place is for.

He knocks on the door, waiting until Minho opens it. He jumps slightly at the Glader's furious expression scans the space above his head. "Who's there? If this is a joke, I'll have Alby banish you this minute!" Minho shouts threatening. Alexander shrinks slightly, why is he so mad? What happened? Minho's eyes lower to the boy, softening slightly. "Hey, I'm a bit busy right now…" Alexander nods, "What are you doing in there?" Minho blocks the door when he tries to see in, but doesn't tell him to leave. "Official Runner business," he mumbles. "Not for other eyes."

Alexander sighs, but nods his head anyways. "I just wanted to say hi. I have to find Newt, and he'll show me where I'm working next. I'm pretty sure it was with the Builders." Minho freezes halfway to closing the door. "Working with who?" he asks, his voice eerily quiet. "The builders. That's the only job I haven't done yet, aside from-" "The builders?! I don't think so!" Minho grabs Alec's wrist, pulling him along to the Gardens where Newt is.

Minho stormed up to Newt, who was speaking with Alby in a low voice. He also happened to catch a bit of their conversation, "Alby. Maybe putting Alec with the builders isn't a great idea. Not only is he unable to do almost everything, but Gally's there…" Alby sighs. "I swear, Gally's so much trouble that I'll have to banish him…" Alby then nodded a bit after thinking it through. "Yeah, okay. I see your point. But you get to babysit him until Minho's done."

Minho froze, looking from Newt to Alec to Alby and then back again. "Alec…. Doesn't have to work with the builders?" Newt jumped slightly, turning. "No. I guess you found out he was going to, huh?" Minho sighed, "I'm gonna go finish my map now…" Newt raised an eyebrow. "You stopped your map for that?" Minho glared. "Shut up." Newt rolled his eyes, watching as the Runner walked away.

"Well Xander, I guess you get to hang out with me for a little while.." Newt said, as he walked. Alexander took a few quick steps to catch up with him. Newt began to talk to the boy, but was interrupted by Thomas. The runner ran over and clapped Newt on the back, shooting a smile in Alexander's direction. "What's up guys?" He questioned, glancing at Newt.

Newt frowned, "you're in a good mood today…" He muttered. "Well, It's nice to see you too." Thomas retorted. Newt smirked. "I was just gonna ask Xander here what job he'd choose for himself." They both turned, directing their attention towards the boy. Alexander bit his lip, "I liked working in the kitchen." He admitted in a quiet voice.

Newt nodded. "I'll put in a good word for ya with Alby. Speaking of Alby… I should probably find him again. We need to figure out your job before tomorrow." Newt finished with a smile. Alexander gave a nod of appreciation right before Newt turned, jogging off in the direction they'd just came from and leaving Alexander and Thomas alone.

Thomas gestured for Alexander to follow him as they walked to the back of the Glade, where Thomas and Chuck often hung out. As they walked, Alexander began to think about the different jobs. He then realized, he hadn't tried out to be a runner. Suddenly, different thoughts began to fill his head, they made being a runner sound better and better, until one thought in particular made being a runner sound like the best job of all. If I was a runner I could protect Thomas and Minho… Alexander thought to himself. But the boy wasn't sure how to ask, or who. Newt had said he'd never deal with Grievers. And Alexander had a bad feeling about asking Minho….

He found that he was stuck, until he realized that there was a runner right next to him. He sucked in a big breath, trying to be confident as he turned toward Thomas. "Thomas?" He asked, waiting for him to reply. The older boy turned, looking down at him. "What is it?" Thomas asked. Alexander hesitated, he wasn't sure how to ask. Finally, as quickly as he could, he spit out his question.

"Can I be a runner?" Thomas's eyebrows came together, "What? Slow down." Alexander breathed in another nervous breath, "can I be a runner?" He repeated, speaking slowly this time. Thomas stopped walking, forgetting where he was going, and about everything else. "No." He said, harsher than he meant to.

Alexander was suddenly mad. "Why?!" he said, his voice trembling. He didn't want to be looked down on. He wanted to keep his friends safe, why couldn't Thomas see that? "I wanna help!" the boy cried out, attempting to express how he felt. "And if you won't help me I'll ask someone else!" Alexander said, mimicking Thomas's harsh tone.

Thomas blinked, surprised by Alexander outburst. Was this how Newt had felt when he'd asked about being a runner? Thomas wondered silently. He shook off the thought and returned to the matter at hand. "You go to anyone else, they'll tell you what I did." Thomas said, his voice softening. "Because, Alexander, I don't care what your reasons are. You cannot be a runner. You can never be a runner."

Alexander's anger faded and was replaced by sadness, and with his eyes watering he ran off in the other direction. "Oh shuck…" Thomas muttered. He sprinted off after Alexander, unsure of where the kid was going. Alexander just wanted to get away from him, he wanted to be alone. Everything he'd gone through the last few days was beginning to wear him down. And Thomas's harsh words were what snapped the rope holding him together.

The boy finally collapsed in the deadheads, he huddled behind a tree hoping Thomas wouldn't see him. The rough bark scratched his back as he sobbed. Alexander wanted to go home, wanted to go back to whatever family he'd had before coming here. Everyone glared at him here, they wanted him gone. He wanted to be gone. What good would he do here if he couldn't become a runner? Who would he help?

He felt as if he wasn't meant to be in this place. He was meant to be playing with toy trucks and cars, not worrying about what job he'd be doing the next day. He sucked in a gasp of air, as his sobs began to slow. His throat burned and his mouth felt dry. It was then that Thomas had finally caught up to him. He took one look at Alexander, he was curled up in a tight fetal position, with his face buried into his legs. A pang of guilt hit Thomas, had he been to hard on the boy? The slowing sobs still rang out, and Thomas settled down next to the crying curled up figure that was Alexander.

Alexander looked up, having not realized Thomas had been there. "What do you want?" the boy muttered, trying to dry his tears. "I want to explain," Thomas started, "Alexander... you're young. And we don't want you to get hurt. We need you here just as much as we need Alby." Alexander shook his head. "You do not..." he mumbled, his voice cracking. Thomas nodded. "You're a part of the Glade, and you can't be a runner because we might lose you. And what would the Glade be without it's Alexander?"

Alexander straightened his back, finally willing to listen. Just then there were footsteps behind them and they both twisted around, looking for the cause. Newt met Alexander's bloodshot eyes. "Bloody hell Tommy! You weren't supposed to make him cry!" Alexander giggled quietly. Now who was getting yelled at? He thought to himself.

Thomas began explaining himself, but hesitated when speaking about Alexander's question. He decided to keep that between them, not wanting to embarrass him. He told Newt that Alexander had just broken down, the events of the last few days finally catching up to him. Newt nodded understandingly.

"Anyways," Newt started, as he pulled Alexander up. "Frypan was wondering if you wanted to help him in the kitchen." Alexander nodded, deciding he would. But before running off he gave Thomas a quick hug, throwing his arms around his waist. "Thank you." He whispered. Alexander he wrapped himself from Thomas, and sent a wave in Newt's direction before running off towards the kitchen.


	7. Mind Tricks

**Song: Runnin' by Adam Lambert**

Thomas awoke to the rising sun, and he flopped over onto his back before glancing around at his surroundings. He was laying on the soft moss he'd fallen asleep on, near the deadheads where he'd begun sleeping a while back, and had never quite broken the habit. Thomas threw his blankets off and stood, rolling his neck. A few cracks rang out. I must've slept on a rock. He thought glumly to himself before heading towards the kitchen.

Once there he pushed open the door and grabbed himself and Minho a sandwich, and a water bottle for the both of them. Frypan always laid out a few sandwiches and bottles for the runners. Thomas had actually began to appreciate Frypan much more since being given his new job. He was pretty quiet, but the cook got done what had to be done. And as much as everyone joked about his cooking skills, and the hairs they found, the Glade just wouldn't be the same without him. The runner shook his head and pushed open the door with his shoulder, balancing the sandwiches and water bottles carefully between his fingers.

He headed for the Homestead, knowing he'd have to hurry Minho along as he did every day. Thomas looked around the open space as he walked, he'd never get over how huge the place felt. It felt like they could've been surrounded by acres upon acres of land. But common sense told him that it couldn't be possible, there wasn't much in the Glade. And what was there covered the land entirely.

Thomas pulled himself out of his own deep thoughts as he approached the Homestead. He reached forward towards the door, while attempting to balance his carry-ons in one hand. But the door was pushed open from the insides, too quickly for Thomas to step away from it. The door collided with him and the contents of his hands spilled to grass below. "Ugh," Thomas muttered as he realized the water bottles had crushed the sandwiches.

He pulled his gaze from the scattered supplies on the ground and met Newt's gaze. "Really Tommy? Had to get so bloody close to the door?" The boy questioned in his heavily accented voice. Thomas rolled his eyes, and bent to pick up his stuff. Newt waited for Thomas to do so, and once he did, Newt held open the door for him hoping to avoid another collision. They began to part ways before Thomas called out to Newt. "Hey, is Minho out of the Homestead yet?" He questioned, hoping Newt could save him a trip. Newt shook his head, "course he's not. It's Minho, he'd sleep all day if Alby'd let him." Thomas chuckled and then turned away from Newt, heading towards Minho's room.

He walked up the creaky steps and turned to the 3rd door on his left. He opened the door, and was surprised to find Minho awake. He was grabbing his bag off of a hook on the wall, when Thomas had walked in. "Hey," he greeted as he took one of the sandwiches from Thomas. "You're up early," Thomas replied, skipping the hello. "Yeah.." Minho muttered, "Alec woke me up." Thomas almost laughed, but Minho stopped him. "Don't even Thomas." "Don't even what?" Thomas countered as he leaned back against the wall. "Point out that, a 5 year old has been bossing you around?" Thomas said, estimating his age. Minho shot a glare in his direction, but gave no reply.

Thomas passed him a water bottle that he quickly packed, "where is he anyways?" "He's off to find Alby, kid wants to know what job he'll be doing." Thomas nodded and snatched an extra bag off Minho's bed, seeing as he'd forgotten his back at the Map Room the day before. He stuffed in his sandwich and bottle, and then checked the other pockets for weapons. Minho must've stashed some in there earlier, because Thomas found some knifes, and and extra notepad he could use.

Thomas watched Minho shoulder his bag and then begin to adjust some of the straps, fitting it to himself. He slipped in his other arm, and found it comfortable. Thomas then did the same to his own bag, only keeping the notepad out. Minho glanced over at Thomas, "you ready?" He asked. "Born ready." Thomas said. "Cheeky shank…" Minho muttered as he turned and headed out. Thomas followed stealing a pen off Minho's dresser before exiting the room.

The 2 boys headed down the steps and out the door, on their way to the Maze. The doors rumbled open as they did every day, and taking it as their cue, Minho and Thomas picked up their pace and began to jog. They ran through the doors and into the Maze, their feet pounding against the stony ground. They approached their first turn immediately, and Minho raised his left arm. Motioning for Thomas to turn left, he did following Minho, and made a quick sketch on his notepad, showing which way they'd turned.

Minho nodded at him, seeing his progress as a runner. "After a few more days, you'll probably be running alone." Minho said lightly, Thomas shot him a quick smile. Meanwhile the rising sun began to illuminate the Maze, casting the runners' shadows onto the wall next to them. Thomas watched his run for a second, but his gaze was pulled away from it when he heard a rasping scrape across the wall opposite of his. He turned to see Minho cutting loose some of the thick ivy. Thomas made note to himself to remember to do the same.

In a few swift moments he pulled his arms out of their straps, and swung the bag forward. He dug through the bag, searching for his knife. His hand clamped around it, and he pulled it out, putting it in his pocket for easier access. He slipped his arms back through the straps, letting the bag sit comfortably on his back. The contents of the bag bobbed around a bit as he ran, but he was used to the movement inside the bag.

After a few more hours of running Minho gestured for them to stop, he pulled off his bag and out came his food and water. He frowned at the sandwich, "you squashed them this morning didn't you?" He said, looking up at Thomas. "You can blame Newt." He replied, pulling out his own sandwich and bottle. He leaned back against the wall and let himself sink into a sitting position.

They both ate in silence, collecting their breath and rehydrating themselves. After a few more minutes they both shared a look and stood up together, throwing everything back into their bags before breaking into a brisk jog. Thomas drew his knife and sliced through the ivy. After doing that he pulled out his notebook and updated their whereabouts.

Thomas sucked in a deep breath through his nose, and let it out through his mouth. He was happy to be a runner, he was. But no one had told him how boring it would be. They ran, and mapped, stopped to eat, and mapped some more. He glanced over at the experienced runner next to him, Minho had his own notepad out and looked to be sketching down their route. But suddenly the runner stopped, his notepad fell to the ground. And he looked up, meeting Thomas's gaze, a wild look written in his eyes. Thomas skidded to a stop, almost dropping his own notepad. He glanced behind him, had Minho seen a Griever? He thought, growing worried. But the halls were clear, he looked back to Minho, awaiting an explanation.

Minho's voice was barely over a whisper when he spoke, "did you hear that?" Thomas blinked in confusion, "hear what? What's going on?" Minho didn't reply, he scrambled to pick up his notepad, and then scanned over the route they'd taken. "We gotta get back to the Glade." He said quickly turning and starting to run. Thomas looked down at his watch, had more time passed then he'd thought? According to his watch, they still had hours left in the Maze. Why go back now? He wondered, wanting answers desperately.

He took off, running quickly after Minho. "Minho!" He cried out, "what are you doing?!" He said, hurrying to catch up. Minho gave him only a glance as he spoke. "Just trust me, this is important! Okay?" Thomas gritted his teeth, deciding to drop the matter. They both sped up, practically sprinting through the Maze. Soon they were passing their many checkmarks of fallen ivy. And within a few more minutes, they were both staring at the busy activities of the Glade through the west door entrance.

Minho stopped running, and looked around the open area, clearly searching for Alby. Thomas took a few steps in front of Minho, his eyes narrowing, noticing that something seemed a bit different. No one was working, instead they were all huddled in groups of 3 or 4. And… They all had worried, no, not worried. Scared expression on their faces. Looking just as Minho had. "They heard it to…" Minho muttered, thinking along the same lines as Thomas. Seeming to have calmed down a bit.

"Heard what?!" Thomas said, feeling exasperated. He was missing something. Something important. And everyone knew it, but him. Minho grabbed him by the arm, towing him along. "We've got to find Alby and Newt." He said, continuing to provide no information. Thomas pulled his arm from Minho's tight grasp, his aggravation beginning to show. "Tell me what's going on right now, or I'm going back into the Maze and I'm not coming back until it closes!"

Minho cursed under his breath, he needed Thomas to come now. They didn't have time for this. The runner threw his arms up, "Thomas!" He cried, showing his own aggravation. "I can't explain this, you won't believe me! You'll think I've gone shucking insane!" "You can't get more insane than you're acting right now!" Thomas spat back, through his gritted teeth. Minho let out a sigh, finally emphasising with his friend. "Look," he started wondering how to explain, "I heard a voice. And by the looks of this place, they all did to." Thomas scoffed, "come on." He muttered, finding Minho story a bit hard to believe. But regardless, he let himself be towed towards the Homestead. Minho still in search of their voices of reason.

They found Newt and Alby, surrounded by many of the other keepers behind the Homestead. Fear present in their eyes, and that fear keep their fighting down to a minimum. Newt, who'd been leaning back against the wall, was the first to notice their arrival. His eye snapped to theirs, but before he could ask the question at hand. A chorus of voices interrupted him, all wanting to know whether or not the runners had heard it too. Minho ignored the voice, stepping into the circle. "Did everyone really hear it?" He asked immediately, wanting to know what has gone on while he'd been gone.

Alby nodded, "every last one of us, I take it you guys did too?" Minho began to answer but was interrupted by Gally. "What's Thomas doing here? If you haven't noticed this is keeper's only." He said harshly, his nose flaring as he glared in Thomas's direction. "Calm yourself Captain Gally," Minho began, taking a step further into the circle. "Thomas is here, because he's lookin' to be the only shunkin' person that didn't hear the voice."

Minho's proclamation was like a bullet shot through thin air. Everyone was silent, unsure what to say. Thomas had to resist the urge to groan, he knew this was going to be bad. He could already hear all of the assumptions people would make. Thomas avoided the accusing glares, running a nervous hand through his hair, as he tried to figure out what to say.

"Slammer!" Gally cried out like a crazy person, interrupting Thomas's thoughts, while his eyes burning like fire. "When will you guys see what's right in front of you! He's the first person to survive a night in the Maze, and then can't hear the same voice that every other lovin' kid in this Glade does! We need to do something!" Thomas had grown used to Gally's outburst, but this was something different. Gally looked worse than a dog with rabies. Thomas felt like he'd seen that look before and when he remembered where he'd seen it, his stomach dropped. Because the resemblance was just too uncanny.

Ben. The boy who'd attacked him shortly after his arrival in the Glade. The look in his eye when he'd attacked, was pure crazy. And Gally looked worse than he had. As if it were his cue, Gally threw himself at Thomas with his fists flying. His first punch connected with Thomas's jaw, knocking him roughly to the ground. Thomas rolled out from under Gally, just as Newt jumped forward, followed closely by Minho. Minho reached wildly for Gally's flailing arms, he clamped his hands over Gally's. Holding them tightly behind his back. And Newt quickly stepped forward, driving his fist into Gally's face. Thomas watched from where he lie on the ground as Gally toppled over backwards.

Newt drew his fist back, eyes unmoving from Gally's body on the ground. "Somebody get him in the Slammer…" Alby muttered. Two boys stepped forward, they were unknown to Thomas. But one gestured to the other to grab his feet, after gesturing he tugged Gally up by the wrists. And off they went, slowly backing up towards the slammer. Alby turned, offering Thomas a hand. Thomas took it, and Alby pulled him up.

"Bloody hell…" Newt murmured, "3 years I've been here, and nothing so crazy has ever happen. Gally goes berserk, and we're all hearin' voices." Thomas had never seen Newt look so exhausted. Frypan seemed to notice too, "this is crazy." The cook admitted. "I say we all take a break, get some order back in this place." He said, his eyes scanning the state of panic the Glade seemed to be in. "And see what happens," Frypan finished. Alby nodded, "ya got a point. Not much else we can do from here." He then began ordering people around, getting back in the swing of things. "Zart, get your gardeners back to the gardens. And Frypan, cooks in the kitchen." The two keepers nodded, heading in their opposite directions.

"The rest of you, get your people to their sta-" Alby was interrupted by a scream, they all turned to see Gally leap awake and break free of the hands clutching his arms and legs. He fell to the ground, only hesitating a second before jumping up and breaking into a sprint. Running like a madman towards the open Glade doors. The boys that had been holding him, began to chase after him, until Alby called out to them. "Just let him go!" He said, his voice raised. "Better out there, than in here." He muttered, more to himself than anyone else.

"Okay, keepers back to your stations. Let's go!" He said with a clap of his hands, finishing his previous statement. The rest of the keepers trickled away, looking a bit stunned. "Minho," Alby began, calling the runner back. "I don't want anyone in the Maze today. The runners can take turns watching Alexander." Thomas snapped to attention after hearing the boy's name. As bad as it sounded, through all the drama, he'd forgotten about him. Minho bumped Thomas's shoulder, his bag on his arm and his arm outstretched towards Thomas. "You put the bags in the room, and map out what we covered today. The other runners are around here somewhere. I'll tell them what's up and find Alexander." Thomas nodded, slipping Minho's bag of his arm, and shouldering it. "You are the boss." He said lightly, Minho smirked. "And don't you forget it." He slapped Thomas on the arm before running off toward the Map room.

Thomas jogged around the Homestead, pushed open the door, heading up the creaky steps. He slowed once approaching Minho's door, he turned the handle, and headed inside. He jumped a bit, seeing Alexander sitting on Minho's bed. The boy's legs were crossed and he was playing with a wooden car. Alexander looked up at Thomas, "hey Thomas!" He said happily, setting the wooden car down on its proper shelf. "You guys are back already?" Thomas nodded, slipped the bags off his back and setting them in the corner of the room. "Alby won't let us go back out. I'm assume you heard it too?" Thomas questioned as he dug through he and Minho's bag, retrieving the water bottles. Frypan got touchy if you didn't return them.

Alexander shook his head, confused. "Heard what?" Thomas stopped after hearing what he said, "you didn't hear the voice?" "What voice?" Alexander said, answering Thomas's question with his own. "Oh no…" Thomas muttered to himself. He knew the kid was gonna get hell, he was already the only child in past 3 years. Newt had told Thomas about how that Gathering had gone. Imagine the one they'd hold over this? Thomas reached over to Alexander, grabbing his hand. "Come on," he said. Forgetting about the water bottles, and his unfinished business in the Map room. That could wait, right now he had to get the news out to the other Keepers. Preferably the ones that were his friends, but Alby would insist they all should know.

He dragged Alexander down the stairs, and passed the boy off the Chuck. And quickly telling his friend what was going on, Thomas ran off to find Minho. Who was surrounded by a few other runners, they were talking about what had happened when Thomas ran up. He turned, surprised to see Thomas already. "Come on," Thomas said not wants to waste time, "it's Alexander." Minho had needed no further explanation, he let Thomas pull him away from the circle of runners. All while pressing him for information, "what is it?" He demanded, "did he get hurt?"

Thomas shook is head, still tugging Minho along, and once they were far away from everyone, he told Minho what he'd discovered. "Alexander didn't hear the voice either. He said, in hushed tone. "Oh no.." Minho said, reacting the same was Thomas had. They both ran off, once again in search of Newt and Alby. They found the two boys still behind the Homestead, also talking over the events of that day. Alby was the first to look up and see their flushed faces. He immediately knew something was wrong. "Aye…" He muttered, "what now? Please tell me you didn't lose the kid again." Ably said, directing his gaze at Minho. Thomas shook his head, he wished they had lost Alexander, even that would be better than this.

"He didn't hear it either," Minho said bluntly. Newt's jaw dropped, probably thinking along the same lines as Alby. Neither of them of even thought to ask him about it, much less figure that he hadn't heard it. Alby snapped into action, "where is he now?" He asked, walking past them, and out from behind the Homestead. "He's with Chuck, near the Gardens." Thomas answered quickly. "How many people know?" Newt chimed in, as he jogged forward catching up with Alby. "I told Chuck before finding Minho, and then you guys." They both nodded this time. And Thomas looked over at Minho, who'd been especially quiet. Minho mirrored the same expression that Newt wore. Thomas reached over and patted his friend's arm, having nothing else to offer.

The four Gladers trudged across the Glade, hoping to not draw attention to themselves. Newt and Alby had decided to not tell the other keepers, after what had happened with Gally, they didn't want anyone suggesting they banish Alexander. Soon they stopped, with Chuck's figure in the distance, and called him over. The boy made his way towards them, Alexander trailing a few feet behind him. Once the two intersected, they all surrounded Alexander, asking him again if he'd heard anything. But the boy continued to shake his head, he hadn't heard anything.

Thomas frowned, and with a sigh he pulled Alby and Newt aside, muttering that Alexander looked overwhelmed, and that there was nothing much more that they could do. Newt nodded, he knelt end down once again, "listen Xander." He said softly, "don't tell anyone about this okay? We don't want to worry anyone else." Newt finished, putting it in ways the young boy could understand. And Alexander did, he nodded, putting out his pinky. Newt eyed the finger for a second, before linking it with his own.

Thomas almost laughed. The tall lanky boy knelt down, doing a pinky swear with a five years old was almost too much. That little boy really did have them wrapped around his finger.


	8. I've Seen that Before

**Thnks Fr Th Mmrs by Fall Out Boy**

Alexander woke to Minho shaking him, telling him he needed to get up if he was going to help Frypan in the kitchens. The boy groaned, not wanting to leave the warm bed yet. He rolled over to where Minho had just been, eyes snapping open at the now cold sheets. "You have to get up, kid." Minho said again, eyeing him with amusement. "I've gotta go, too, and if you don't get up, you don't give me a hug." Alexander smiled. "Yes I can," he murmured, reaching out. Minho jumped back, standing by the door. "No you can't." Alexander's eyes narrowed, and he jumped out of bed rushing towards the Runner. Minho gasped, swinging the door open and dashing down the steps. "Catch me if you can!" he shouted before running out into the Glade.

He slowed once he was outside, not wanting to run over a sleeping Glader. He made it to the kitchens and inside before Alexander came bursting in, running up and hugging the boy before pulling back. "Ha. Yes I can." Minho rolled his eyes. "Whatever. You won't be able to catch me next time!" he said before dashing out and running to the still closed door where Thomas was. Alec sighed softly, watching as the doors rumbled open and they dashed out into the Ivy strewn walls.

Frypan rested a hand on his shoulder, and Alexander turned, smiling at the cook. "Come on. Breakfast isn't going to cook itself." Alexander giggled, right as Travis walked in then, going to the fridge and looking at Frypan. "What's on the menu today?" Frypan rolled his eyes. "Pancakes. Two each with a cup of apple juice." Travis nodded. "Alec, you wanna help me with the juice? I think Adam, James, and Frypan have the pancakes." Alec nodded, walking over to the sink and standing on the stool to get the cups down.

There was just enough cups for everyone, so he didn't have to worry about counting them out. As he set them down Travis poured, and once they had about fifteen ready they took them over to one side of the ledge before continuing. Alexander was finishing up with the cups when the Gladers were starting to get up, and he looked over to see Adam and Frypan cooking while James ran plates over to the ledge. Alec watched as he swung the window up, smiling as the plates and cups slowly disappeared into the mass of Gladers stumbling sleepily over.

He dragged his stool over to the ledge to eat again, this time watching as the Gladers came and put their plates, forks, and cups into separate baskets under the ledge on the other side. When they were done eating, Alec put his dishes in the sink while James and Adam went outside, picking up the baskets and setting the on the ledge. They came back in and closed the window, bringing the baskets over to the sink. "You can go now, but make sure you're back to help with dinner," Frypan said.

He made his way over to the Gardens, where Brenden was busy pulling weeds out of a section of the ground. The Glader sat up on his knees when Alexander walked over, wiping his forehead with the back of his gloved hand before instruction the boy to go get some buckets of water and set them over my the shed before helping him weed the rest of the shed.

Alexander did as asked, walking to the Homestead and getting three buckets to the shed before Chuck came over. "What're you doing?" the chubby boy asked. "Brenden needs me to take the buckets to the shed for later, but I can take a minute if you want," Alexander answered. Chuck shook his head. "I can carry one of the buckets for you, if you'd like. There's nothing else for me to do just yet." Alec nodded. "Thanks. After I get the buckets over, Brenden's going to have me help him weed the garden." Chuck nodded. "Sure. After this I've just got to go to Newt and tell him that you're doing fine, then I can hang out for a little bit." Alec nodded again, setting the bucket of water down by the shed.

He walked back over to Brenden when Chuck went to find Newt, getting down on his hands and knees while the Glader explained to grab the weeds by the ground and pull them out all the way to the roots, tossing them to the side out of the garden. He nodded, and Brenden pointed out a section for Alec to finish before he could take a break. Alexander started, grabbing the tangled weeds by the bottom like Brenden showed him, and pulled. And watched as the weeds broke, the roots still in the ground. He stared unbelieving for a moment, looking at Brenden who was trying not to laugh.

"What did I do?" Alexander muttered. Brenden laughed lightly before walking back over. He dug his hand into the ground, pulling the roots out before smoothing the dirt. "You have to wiggle them out, not just pull straight up." Alec nodded. "Okay, let me try…" He grabbed another weed, wiggling it to loosen the dirt around it before yanking up hard and fast. The roots popped out, spraying him with dirt. "Ahh!" he shouted as Brenden laughed. "Don't pull up so hard! They'll come out easily."

Alexander sighed, trying again and getting it right. He tossed the weed out of the garden looking at his red hand. "Ow…" he muttered. "Here," Brenden said, handing him a pair of gloves. "Thanks," Alec said before continuing to pull the weeds. As soon as he was done he stood, walking to the kitchens to get a cup of water. Frypan turned when the door creaked open. "You're early. You've got another hour or so left." Alec nodded. "I know. I've still got some work to do in the Gardens, I just needed some water first." Frypan nodded. "Well, you know where it is," he said before continuing to wipe down the counters.

Alec got a cup of water, downing it quickly before setting the cup in the sink and making his way back to the Gardens. Brenden stood just as Alec walked up to him, brushing his hands before taking the gloves off and sticking them in his belt. Alec did the same, waiting for Brenden to tell him what he had to do next. "You're free to go. I've got to get the weeds to the trees, where the sloppers will bury them." Alec nodded, going to the Homestead where he last saw Chuck. The boy was there, standing to start towards the trees. "Hey, Alec. I've got to go bury some weeds, but after that we can hang out. Okay?" Alec shook his head. "I'll help you. I pulled the weeds." Chuck smiled. "Thanks."

Alec nodded. "I've got another hour or so before I go help Frypan cook lunch, then I have until an hour before dinner to hang out." Chuck nodded. "I'll probably have to get the Runners water when they get back, but aside from that I've got nothing going on." Alec smiled, "How many Runners are there?" "Including Thomas? Eleven." Chuck replied.

Alec's eyes widened. He hadn't realized there weren't that many. "Oh. I thought there were at least twenty." "No, not many people would willingly go out into the Maze. Newt used to be a Runner, but he hurt his leg so he couldn't run anymore." Alec nodded, he had limp. "What happened?" Chuck frowned. "I don't know. He doesn't like to talk about it." Alec nodded. He wouldn't want to talk about getting hurt either.

They arrived at the edge of the trees and Chuck picked up a basket of weeds, nodding to the other sloppers as they passed. Alec picked up a basket of his own, following Chuck as he grabbed as shovel from the shed and headed to the trees, walking about twenty feet in, in sight of the dead heads, before digging a hole and dropping weeds in. Chuck sighed, stomping on the weeds to get them to go further down before dumping the rest of his basket in. Alec followed suit, dropping about half of the weeds in before jumping on them and dumping the rest of them in.

Chuck grabbed the shovel, pushing the dirt on top of the weeds and patting down on the mound until it was roughly flat again. The other sloppers were just finishing as well, and one of them walked up to Chuck. "Hey Harry, what's up?" Chuck asked. The boy grinned, showing dimples before replying. "Not much, hey, if I take your basket back to the Gardens, will you take my shovel to the shed?" Chuck nodded, handing off the two baskets in exchange of the shovel. "Come on Alec, I put these back then we can hang out until you have to go prepare dinner."

Alec nodded, then he followed Chuck, waiting for the boy to be done, and soon he was. Chuck turned closing the shed before following Alexander out of the forest. "So, what's up?" Chuck asked, "what d'you wanna do?" Alexander frowned, _what should they do?_ An idea popped into his head and he smiled. "Wanna play catch?" He asked happily. Chuck gave his friend a confused look as they walked. "With what?" Chuck questioned. "Minho has some stuff in his-our room." Alexander said, holding up a finger. "Hold on."

He ran towards the Homestead, up the stairs, and into his room. Minho's trinkets laid where they always did, on the bookshelf in the corner. And new to his collection, was a white ball with red stitches down the side. He grabbed the ball and ran back out to Chuck, waving the ball excitedly in the air. Chuck's face broke into a smile. He grabbed the ball from Alexander and took a few steps back, until he was around 10 yards back. He raised his arm and let the ball fly toward Alexander, the movement felt smooth and easy. As if he'd d done it before.

Alexander watched the ball fly toward him, he jumped at the last moment, sealing his hands around the sphere. He grasped it tightly and underhanded towards Chuck. Chuck blocked his face with his left hand, catching it with his right. The boy's continued to play, occasionally taking breaks, until Alexander heard his name from across the Glade. "Alec! Dinner!" He recognized Frypan's voice, and threw the ball towards Chuck, "can you put that in Minho's room for me? Just set it on the shelf." Alexander called out before running towards the kitchen.

He hurried into the kitchen, snatching up a glass and pouring some water. He downed the water quickly, and then looked over to Frypan. "Where do I start?" He asked. Frypan looked over towards the other cooks, as he thought about where to put Alexander. "I know I keep making you wash the fruits," Frypan admitted, realizing the pattern. "But there are some apples over by the sink that need washin'." Alexander smiled at Frypan then grabbed a stool from the counter, pulling it over and climbing on it, sitting wobbly on his knees.

He leaned over the sink, switching on the water and holding the apple underneath it for a few seconds before grabbing reaching for another. After washing them he passed them off to Travis to chop up. So, resembling an assembly line, on they went. Alexander washed, Travis chopped, and Frypan swiped the apples in with the blueberries and strawberries. After getting through all of the apple's, Alexander pulled his shins out from under him and slipped off the stool, just as James and Adam walked in.

Frypan glared at the two boys, "late much?" He questioned, his glare unwavering. James hurried over to the toaster, popping in some toast without being asked. And Adam followed his lead, he pulled open the fridge pulling out a block of cheese. He set it on a cutting block, and snatched a knife from the counter. He drove the knife through the cheese, before putting it on the plate that Frypan had instructed Alexander to bring around.

After getting the bowl of fruit from their head cook, the cheese from Adam, and toast from James, he passed the plate off to Travis, who placed it on the ledge. He had around 5 plates out before the hungry Gladers started appearing. Thanks to James and Adam's late arrival, a line began to form outside.

"Ugh!" Alexander groaned. The Gladers lined up outside were beginning to get annoyed. He snatched up two plates off the counter and started quickly toward Frypan, colliding directly with James. The plates Alexander had been holding slipped from his grip, falling and crashing to the floor with a loud smash. Alexander let out a surprised cry, and Frypan's head snapped up at the combined sounds. He was across the kitchen in 2 large steps, the glass crunching under his feet as he grabbed Alexander under his arms and moved the boy to the other side of the kitchen where Travis placed his hands on Alexander's shoulders, pulling the boy back a few steps. "Adam! Dustpan! James! Broom! Now!" Frypan said, barking out the order. Frypan then noticed the forming line, he rolled his eyes. A plate had exploded, there was glass all over his kitchen, and of course all they were worried about was the food. "Come back in 10!" He called out gruffly. With a few groans about dinner being late, the line quickly disassembled.

Adam and James had began sweeping up the sharp pieces of glass. Adam squatted down holding out the dustpan, and James stood a few feet from him, sweeping the glass towards the dustpan. After the glass was swept up, Alexander moved forward. He felt bad for causing so much of a ruckus, "I'm sorry.." He said softly, looking at his fellow cooks. James took the dustpan from Adam and walked toward the trash, using a broom to do so, he swept the glass shards into the trash. He then leaned the broom against the wall, setting the dust pan next to it. While Adam put it away, James walked to Alexander, clapping him on the shoulder. "It's alright, happens to the best of us." He said with a smile.

"You two done making up?" Frypan asked gruffly as he returned to his station, continuing to separate the fruit into bowls. "Cause we got some more cookin' to do." James gave an eye roll before walking back over to the toaster. He pulled out the pieces already toasted, and popped in some that hadn't been. While waiting for them to come up he walked over to Adam, helping him cut the cheese. Alexander reached for a plate and carefully walked over to Frypan, not wanting to have a repeat of the recent events.

This time it was Travis who reached over, placing a bowl on the plate. Alexander took a few steps towards Adam, who gestured to the plate next to him where cheese was beginning to get stacked up. The toaster then popped up, causing Alexander to jump a bit. James snickered at Alexander before moving towards the toaster, swiped the cooked toast from it and had it onto the plate Alexander held in seconds.

Alexander put the plate out onto the ledge, and then another, and another. Soon Gladers began to drift through again, reaching up and snatching the plates off the ledge. As if Frypan would tell them to leave again. The cooks all sped up after hearing the hungry Gladers, Alexander no longer moving slowly, practically bounced from one station to the next, collecting the food and then setting on the edge. Soon only one Glader remained, Alexander picked up the remaining plate, and began putting it together. _Fruit, cheese, toast._ He thought to himself, and with a smile he handed off the plate to the last Glader. The freckled boy smiled, and popped a strawberry into his mouth before walked away from the kitchen.

Alexander let out a sigh, happy to see no one else. Someone nudged his shoulder, and he looked over to see Travis, with a plate held out toward him. Alexander took the plate and stepped up onto a stool, he quickly gobbled down the food then swiveled the stool around so he could lean back on the counter. His eyelids began to droop as the day caught up to him. Frypan noticed and nodded at him, ushering him and Travis out of the kitchen.

"Everyone else gets a break in dishes," he said before Travis and Alexander were out of earshot. "As punishment for being late, James and Adam get to do them all." Both boys let out unanimous groans, but Frypan held up a finger. "Do it again and you'll do _more_ than dishes." Frypan said in an annoyed tone as he walked out. He then paused, as if he had just remembered something. "Don't forget to clean the counters!" He called over his shoulder.

Alexander chuckled to himself, before walking the short distance to the homestead. He hurried up the stairs, and into the bedroom. Minho wasn't there yet, he pulled off his shoes and collapsed into his bed. He let out a deep sigh, and then squirmed around a bit, pulling the light cotton sheets over himself. He was so tired, it seemed all they did in the Glade was work. His hands were raw from weeding in the gardens, and his knees hurt from kneeling on the wooden stool that he so desperately needed for height.

He stretched out his legs, and shoved his arm underneath the soft pillow, and soon fell into a deep sleep. But Alexander's sleep wasn't as deep as he'd hoped. Soon a colorful imagine appear beneath his eye's, he knew he was asleep, and that he was dreaming. But the boxy building infront of him seemed too real, then the imagine shifted and two people were walking briskly through a long, seemingly empty hallway. It only took Alexander a few second to recognize one of the people, a short, dark haired boy, he recognized him as himself.

" _It's my job, sweetheart. I have to do this. It's the only thing that can save humanity. The boys don't know how important they are. Only about half of them are immune, but we need the other ones as well. So no, we can't stop the experiment. I'm sorry." The younger Alexander looked at his mother, the head of the experiment in the Maze. "But mommy, won't some of them die?" The woman sighed, looking at him sadly. "Yes. But we need them to. They're saving humanity." The younger Alexander nodded, remembering how happy his mother was when her research proved that they could make a cure. "But did you have to change their names? What's wrong with the ones they had?" His mother sighed, this time annoyed. "We've been over this. If they have their actual names, they might be able to get their memories back. And if that happens, this whole thing would have been for nothing. But that's not what we're supposed to be talking about."_

 _Alexander's past-self groaned. "Yes, mom. I know, if you tell me to run, I have to get out. I know the map of the compound. I know what guards will help me, and what ones won't. I know not to trust A. D. Janson, or anyone working with him." The boy's mother sighed, nodding her head. "I know. But this time I want_ you _to talk to_ me _through telepathy." Past Alexander's eyes widened, he had never done that before. He did what she had explained before, picturing the words clearly in his mind and visualizing sending them to her. 'Can you hear me?'. His mother smiled, sending back 'Yes. Very good. You'll have to be careful, if you're not thinking about it you could accidentally send someone a message, then everyone would know we can talk this way. It's not something you can get genetically, so they'd know I'd given it to you. That would raise questions and provoke Janson to rebel even further.' Younger Alexander screwed up his face, working to send, 'Why do you still have him around then?' His mother sighed, 'Because we need his mind. He understands their reactions better than anyone else in the W.I.C.K.E.D. compound.' Past Alexander sighed, 'You'd think that out of all of the people in the compound, someone would be smarter than Janson…' His mother sighed. 'You know there was one. But they're in the Maze now.' Past Alexander sighed. 'Yeah, yeah, I know. It's-'_

Alexander heard a crash and bolted upright, interrupting his dream. The boy let out a deep breath, and watched Minho's ball roll across the wooden floor, it's markings barely visible in the dark. It slammed to a halt against the wall. Alexander fell back into his bed, promising he'd pick up the ball in the morning. He squeezed his eyes shut, hoping to continue his dream, when he heard a chorus of noises to his right. There were a few creeks and then a pattering footsteps. Alexander turned to see Minho walking over and picking up the ball. He noticed Alexander and frowned. "You're awake?"

Alexander nodded, looking at the ball. "Woke me up when it fell." The runner nodded, setting the ball back in its proper spot. It was then Alexander that frowned. _Had he put it in the wrong spot? No… Chuck must've-_ Alexander paused, Chuck…. He felt then like he should know something, or like he did know something…. Minho noticed his scrunched up face. "You okay?" He asked quietly, but his question was met with no answer. Alexander's eyes widened in surprise from what he saw. His fist clutched handful of the bedsheet, as if he were in some sort of trance.

Chuck's name brought a flood of memories through him and he gasps, the setting suddenly changing. He was in a room with computers on a table, all faced away from each other in the middle, people sitting at each chair and a giant screen in the front. There's glass everywhere, glass walls, glass doors. Outside the walls he can see stone, he can tell the place is well protected even though this room looks weak. " _Alexander. Watch. This is what'll be you in a month." Past Alexander didn't acknowledge the man's words, but his eyes widen as the boy they're sending up, Chuck, was the name they gave him, gasps, sitting bolt upright. He scrambled to get his feet under him, and then pushed himself up. He drew in shaky breaths, scanning around the box. His anxiety seemed to grow from every breath and he stumbled a bit, collapsing back to the ground. He suddenly puked, the greenish liquid erupting out of him. He fell back against the wall coughing loudly. The boy soon began to calm, he sucked in deeper breaths, his eyes closed. Chuck stood up and walked towards the boxes at the far side of the elevator. He looked down at the battered wood, frowning. He then moved his hand to touch it, when he suddenly stopped. His face breaking out into a smile._

Past Alexander sat back a bit, confused, just when one of the W.I.C.K.E.D employees, a redhead that looked like she hadn't slept in days, nodded. "He remembered his name quicker than the others," she said, "I told you this one would do good." Alexander began to question her, when Janson gripped him by the arm. A distant look in his eye, "Ava's coming.." He muttered, and then a brisk clicking was heard throughout the room. Past Alexander recognized his mother footsteps, and then Janson began pushing the boy across the room and out the door. Once shoving him out he pushed a button and the glass began to change into a darker solid. He glanced once more at the monitor screen, the last thing he saw was a blinding light flooding the box. And a scared Chuck looking towards the crowding boys.

After his last look, the dream like phase he'd been in changed back to the familiar walls and floors of the Homestead. Minho looked at Alexander, worry present on his face. "Are you okay?" he repeated. Alexander unclenched his fists. "Yeah, sorry." he said quickly, hoping the older boy wouldn't question him. Minho's worried gaze was unwavering as he nodded, walking back across the room to his bed. Alexander watched him flip up his covers and then slide under them. "Night Alec." Minho said before falling back asleep.

Alexander couldn't begin to understand the events that had just played through his head. He'd talk to Chuck the next day, it was only right he'd been the one in the dream. Alexander hoped he'd be able to make sense of it. The young boy leaned back, pulling his covers back over him, before falling into a finally dreamless, sleep.


	9. Ain't no rest for the WICKED

**Ain't No Rest For the Wicked by Cage the Elephant. See what we did there?**

She looked over the different monitors, she never left the viewing room since Alexander had been put in the Maze. She knew her colleagues thought low of her for having such attachment. Ava Paige was the head of W.I.C.K.E.D, yet she'd never felt so helpless. The experiment had been going on for 2 years, it'd been going on longer than Alexander would remember. She played with him while the Glade was being set up, she remembered sitting and holding his hand when the first box went up. The Box delivering the first "Greenie."

She knew the boys there loved Alexander, and would protect him. But the end was coming soon. Everyone at W.I.C.K.E.D knew that the end meant death. A gory death, a death she'd never wish for her child. And she wasn't sure how much the boys she'd grown to know from behind the monitors, could protect him from. But how could she stop the experiment? All of the Gladers were unknowing giving up their own lives for the better of the world, she couldn't do the same?

Tears began to well in her eyes, but she blinked them away telling herself to focus on the monitors. It was morning in The Glade, most were still asleep within the Maze walls, except for a few of the runners who gathered their supplies, awaiting the opening of the heavy walls. She reached forward tapping a small square button on the side of a monitor, and a hologram keyboard appeared in front of her. The hovering blue square buzzed a bit as it awaited her coordinate entry. She punched in a few numbers, followed by some letters. The screen in front of her shifted, the Glade's grass became a shabby wooden floor.

Alexander still lay in bed, tangled in the sheets as he slept. Ava's heart throbbed, as she smiled sadly. But what killed her the most was that, if this had been another child. She would've been even more intrigued with the experiment. Instead of a girl, they had a child with an I.Q higher than most of the other boys that aged above him. The brain activity within the Glade had been going crazy, she's seen the charts. She couldn't deny the progress they'd made, but she hated to admit that his being there was good, in any way. A low sound filled the room, Ava blinked in surprise, she check the sound on the monitors. She could've swore it'd been turned off. A clearing of a throat was heard behind her, and she turned to see Teresa. The girl hesitated in the doorway, unsure of whether or not to come in.

After Alexander had ended up in the Maze, Teresa and Aris had been kept out. And to rebalance the experiment, Aris was replaced by a girl Alexander age. But they'd both been with W.I.C.K.E.D for years, and through a sequence of meetings. It had been decided that their talent couldn't go to waste. Teresa and Aris would be added to the experiment at a later data. In the meantime they had been working with many of the highest ranking scientists, including Ava herself. They were learning about the brain, learning about what they must do and what they'd face once emitted into the experiment.

"Come in." Ava said briskly, turning back to the monitors. Teresa's light footsteps rang out through the empty room as she walked to Ava's side. "How's Thomas?" She asked quietly. Ava reached forward, and in reply to her question, began rapping on the keyboard. Her fingers flying over the keys, for she knew all the of the different combinations by heart.

One of the many screens stayed on Alexander, while another switched over to Thomas. The doors had opened and him and Minho were running the Maze. Their strides matched up as they ran, their feet pounding at the ground as they ran. Teresa gave a small smile when she saw him. The hardest part for her about not going in, was not seeing Thomas. He didn't remember her, it wasn't hard for him. It was for her though, caring so much, but knowing the person you cared so deeply about, hadn't given you a second thought. But she'd thrown herself into preparation for when she would see him. Doing everything and anything she could to make sure it would go smoothly.

"You have only weeks left until you'll be entered in," Ava said. "How do you feel?" Teresa pulled her gaze from Thomas and met her superiors eyes. "I feel ready." She said confidently. And then after a second of holding her confidence, it slowly faded from her face. As her unanswered questions came to mind. "Will Alexander and Leah be staying with the groups?" She asked, "no one has told me." Ava sighed, "they're waiting for my acknowledgment of that. I believe I know what I'll do. But," she said with a small smile towards Teresa. "None of it will affect your role. Just worry about yourself for now." Teresa nodded. "Can I go in at an earlier date? I'm ready for The Scorch, I'm tired of waiting." "I know you are, I know Aris is also. But patience is key. We've waited a long time for these result, no reason to rush now." Ava said, her eyes unmoving from the monitor.

Teresa frowned, disappointed. "I understand." She muttered quietly. From there on, both were silent for a while, watching their separate screens. Their separate loved ones, both in the universe that neither of them could achieve. After a while, Teresa tore her eyes from Thomas. "I have to go find Aris," she said sadly, not wanting to leave, "we have some work to do." Ava nodded, "I'll see you later." Teresa also gave a nod before hesitantly walking from the room. The door clanged shut and Ava sighed, happy to finally be alone. People were constantly questioning her, pressuring her. Which was part of her job, and she'd be able to handle it. had been Teresa to go in. But it hadn't been, Just as she'd begun to relax, the door opened again. Ava didn't turn, expecting it to be Teresa returning for a favor of sorts, but a different voice called out to her. A voice she hated to hear.

"Ms. Paige." Janson said as he crossed the room towards his superior. "Janson," she said coldly, turning to glare at him. She hated the man, he was no more than the rat of W.I.C.K.E.D. Looked like it too. But he had a brilliant mind, a brilliant mind than W.I.C.K.E.D needed for the Maze Trials to be a success. Janson smiled, knowing that his presence in the room annoyed her. "The other scientists need you," he said, repeating the message.

"With what?" Ava said, ignoring his teasing smirk. "They need you to look over their data graphs, want your interpretation," he said, growing serious. "And you must go, you've practically vanished from the W.I.C.K.E.D compounds. There more to this experiment than your boy. I thought you were the Chairman here, but you've barely stepped out of this room." Just as he'd spoken the words, Janson knew he'd crossed a line. He sucked in a quick breath, awaiting her wrath. Ava took a step back from him with her nose flaring, confirming his suspicion of her anger. Her face resembled that of a killer, and her eye's were frozen in a murderous glare.

"How dare you?!" She cried out. "You scum of a man! How dare you question my position at W.I.C.K.E.D?!" Her confidence grew as the words erupted out of her. She stepped forward, "I've grown this compound from ground up! It's because of me you aren't outside with your brain rotting of the Flare! And don't forget…" Ava said leaning in, their faces just inches apart, as a red anger burned through her chest. "I know your secret. And if it were to slip out, you'd be ruined."

With that, she placed her fist on his chest and pushed him back. "Now, send someone with those papers." She finished, clasping her hands behind her back and turning from him. Janson gave a solemn nod and started back towards the labs.

"Janson," Ava said, stopping him. He sucked in an annoyed breath, and stopped, spinning on his heel to face her. Ava turned herself slightly, "If you say as much as one more negative word about my boy, you'll find yourself in the middle of the Scorch with no clothes on your back and no food in your stomach," she said in a viscous tone, resisting the urge to growl. "That's all. Off with you now. I need those charts." Janson nodded, then proceeded out of her sight.

Ava watched the empty spot he'd walked from for a few seconds; a foul taste remained in her mouth. She turned back to the monitor, watching Alexander cross the Glade as he went about his day. From what she'd gathered after a few moments of watching, he'd gotten a break from the kitchen and was off to find one of his fellow Gladers. The woman pulled over a chair and settled into it. And that's where she sat, unmoving as she looks over the charts Janson sent her.


	10. Chuck I Have to tell you Something

**Brave by Sara Bareilles**

Alexander woke up to Minho shaking him. "Come on kid, gotta get up." Alexander groaned. "It's too early. Five more minutes?" Minho smiled, shaking his head. "You've got until I'm changed, then you have to get up. Frypan's gonna need your help with breakfast." Alexander nodded, turning so he was on his back, looking up at the ceiling. He closed his eyes, listening as Minho opened the small closet in the corner, hearing the rustling of clothes as he changed.

He heard Minho walk over to the door, the bag unzipping as he looked through it. Finally, he listened to Minho's footsteps as he walked over to the boy, resting a hand on his shoulder while the boy opened his eyes. "Come on. Time to get up for real this time," Minho said grinning slightly. Alexander sat up, standing before leaning against Minho in a sleepy hug. Minho rolled his eyes, but wrapped his arms around the boy's shoulders. He sighed into Minho's shirt, pulling back and looking up at the Runner. "Come back," he whispered. Minho nodded. "I promise."

With that Minho backed up, walking over to the door and holding it open for them both. They walked together out of the Homestead, parting on their way out. Alexander watched as Minho meet up with Thomas, waving when the other Runner looked back at him. The brunette waved back, and off they went. He was just entering the Kitchens when he glimpsed another Glader walking along the edge of the forest. Curious as to who was up so early, he started walking over towards the Glader. And then realized who it was, and froze. Chuck.

The flashback with Janson returned to the front of his mind, and he gasped. "Alec! Come on! We've gotta get started!" Frypan shouted to him from the door of the kitchens, pulling him from his thoughts. A couple of Gladers, awoken from Frypan's shout, groaned and rolled to face away from the cook. Frypan rolled his eyes, giving Alexander time to shake himself out of his reverie. He would talk to Chuck later. The boy deserved to know.

"I'm coming," Alexander called back to Frypan, jogging into the kitchens. Frypan closed the door behind him, and he noticed that Adam and James were already here. He smiled, I guess they didn't want to do the dishes again. Frypan motioned for him to walk to the counter. "We're making pancakes, so I want you to stir the mix, then pass it off to Adam to fry." Alexander nodded, taking the spoon that Frypan held out toward him. He plunged the spoon into the batter and began to stir, holding the bowl in place as he did.

After it was stirred to the maximum, and looked as if it'd be smooth to the touch, Alexander passed the batter off to Adam. He quickly glanced around the kitchen, and then pulled the glasses from the cupboard. He set them all out, and began pouring cups of milk. He had about ten poured when a line began forming outside. Travis had been in charge of the delivering of the food, so he darted around the kitchen, a little behind schedule, and set food out for the hungry Gladers.

Alexander continued to pour milk until all the glasses were full. Frypan noticed he'd finished and called out for him to take over delivery. Travis and him promptly swapped places. Travis passed him the plate he'd been holding. The young boy then crossed the kitchen, walking towards Adam, who plotted a few pancakes on the plate before drizzling on some syrup. Alexander stepped back a few steps, and bumped into Frypan who turned and dumped some bacon off of his skillet and onto the plate.

"No fruit today?" Alexander asked lightly as he set the plate onto the ledge. "Fruit's overrated!" Frypan called over his shoulder. "What we really need is meat! Solid protein." Alexander rolled his eyes, and then looked forward at the line of people. There were only a few Gladers remaining, "five more plates!" He called out to the rest of the workers. They all grumbled a bit in response before throwing the rest of the food together. Alexander, once again joined by Travis, walked around picking up the plates and sliding them out onto the ledge.

Soon only a few more plates remained, as usual, leaving just enough for the cooks themselves. Alexander climbed onto one of the stools and Frypan passes him a plate. He reached towards the syrup, practically drowning the pancakes in it.

James settled next to him, his own plate in front of him. "Got enough syrup?" he questioned jokingly. Alexander smiled. "I'm not sure," he said as he bit into a piece of bacon. James laughed, digging into his own food. Just as he reached for a fork, a hand appeared over his shoulder, stealing a piece of bacon. "Screw you Adam!" He called out, while bringing his elbow back hard. It dug into Adam's stomach, he gagged and then swatted James on the neck. Alexander giggled and Frypan turned, glaring at them as if he were their disapproving father. Both boys put on an apologetic face for a second, but as soon as he turned away, both broke out into silent laughter.

Alexander smiled at the boy's antics, shaking his head before standing from the stool and putting his plate in the sink. He walked out of the kitchens, heading over to the Gardens. Brenden nodded at him when he walked up, asking him to go get the pails of water they would need again today. He did, not talking to anyone on the way there or back. The day was pretty boring so far, which gave him time to think about his flashback, about Chuck, and about W.I.C.K.E.D. in general.

And his mom! Now that he remembered her, he wasn't just lost and confused in the Glade, because even though the boys here were nice to him, they couldn't replace his mom. He was lonely, he missed his mom. He remembered her, faintly remembering her playing with him now that that one memory was restored. And… he was the only one in the Glade with his real name. He was the only one that remembered anything. These thoughts continued to conjure up, only strengthening his resolve to tell Chuck. The other boys needed to know too, about the main one at least, but Chuck needed to know first.

He decided that he would take a break after he helped with lunch, and he would track down the slopper. The word sounded strange, even in his head. Which meant it would sound even worse if, or when, he actually said it. Their language was strange over all though. Shuck, Klunk, Slinthead, and the others. He wondered how the boys had come up with them, what made them think that they would be good words to use. He figured he could ask Minho, or Newt, or even Chuck, but he would feel stupid.

After he had gotten the pails of water and placed them in the shade by the shed, he walked back over to where he had last seen Brenden. But in place of the Gardener, was a shorter redhead, with curly hair pinned back in a bun. "Uh… hi," Alexander mumbled, flushing at how small he sounded. The boy looked up at him, smiling slightly. "So you're the new Greenie I've been hearing about, huh? No gonna lie, I thought it was all a rumor, them sendin' a kid up here," said the boy in a thick accent. It sounded similar to Newts, with a few more lilts to some letters.

Alexander's blush darkened at that, and he looked down at his shoes. The redhead smiled slightly, "Name's Connor, what's yours?" Alexander looked up. "Alexander but you can call me Alec," he said in a confident voice. Connor tilted his head slightly. "Well Alec, what're you doin' over here?" Alexander nodded towards the shed, where a Gardener was grabbing a pail of water. "I've been helping out in the Gardens for the past few days. Then I help Frypan in the kitchens in between. Brenden's been having me do stuff around here… do you know where he is?" Connor nodded. "Yeah, he's by the tomatoes. Nice seein' you, Alec," he added as the boy walked away. He nodded, walking over to the tomatoes, where Brenden was kneeling on the ground. Alexander walked closer, watching as Brenden grabbed a tomato, yanked and snapped upward to get the tomato of the rest of the vine, and sat it gently in his basket.

Alec smiled slightly, kneeling next to Brenden. "Can I help?" he asked softly. Brenden smiled at the nervous kid, nodding his head. "Don't squeeze the tomato too tight, and only pick the ones that are this color," the Glader said, holding a red tomato out for Alec to look at. Alec nodded, looking at the vine in front of him. He quickly spotted a bright red tomato and reached forward, grabbing it, not squeezing too tightly and snapping it upward. Brenden nods, pointing to the basket. Alec smiles, placing the tomato on top. After about twenty more tomatoes, and about fifty for Brenden, the Gardener dismisses him to help Frypan in the kitchens.

Alec walks to the kitchens, looking to the Maze Door and sighing. Minho and Thomas are out there right now, and even though the monsters aren't out, they could still get hurt. And he wouldn't know about it until when the door closes and they aren't back. When they're stuck out in the Maze overnight, when the monsters can get them. He shakes his head. He shouldn't be thinking like that. He should be thinking about lunch, and what he's going to help cook. But first he has to wash his hands.

He walks in, standing in front of the sink and standing on his tippy toes to turn the water on, putting his hands under the water and watching the main part of the dirt wash away. Then he reaches even further, grabbing the soap and squeezing some onto one hand, putting the bottle back with the other. He scrubs hard, trying to get all the dirt off.

Once he's done rinsing his hands, he looks to Frypan for instructions on what to help with. Frypan points toward Travis, who hesitated, unsure of where to put the boy. He ended up nodding towards the sink, placing a hand on Alexander's back and guiding him towards it. A few clangs rang out as the older boys reached into the remaining dishes, pulling out a few knifes. Alexander's eyebrows knitted together, unsure of what his friend was doing.

"Alright," Travis began, "I know you haven't done dishes yet, but I want you to get these out of the way. We didn't get them done after breakfast because lunch is so early today." Travis explained. "And I just removed the knives, so there nothing that'll hurt you." Alexander nodded, now understanding his earlier actions. He then frowned, feeling embarrassed. "I wouldn't hurt myself..." He muttered, hating that he was untrusted.

Travis gave a light hearted smile and clapped him on the back. "Sure ya wouldn't kid." He said before returning to his station. Alexander pushed back his annoyance and switched on the water. He watched it run into the sink as it slowly filled, soon providing enough water for him to began washing. Alexander placed a few cups and plates into the water to soak, then grabbed a dirtied spatula from beside him. He swished it around in the water while grabbing a sponge. He dumped a bit of soap on the sponge and started on the spatula. Alexander worked off the bits of crusty pancake batter, relying heavily on the soap while he scrubbed.

As he washed, different activities of the kitchen went on behind him. They were having peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with some berries on the side. James was pouring water. Adam had been stationed next to Frypan, the two working like an assembly line. Frypan swiped on the peanut butter, and Adam plopped on a spoonful of jelly. Then they pressed the pieces together, sliding the plate down to another boy, that passed it on to one of the many Gladers.

Alexander continued trudging through his work with the dishes. The experiment had confirmed his suspicion: he did not like dishes. But regardless, he picked up the last pan and brought his sponge down on it, wiping it on the bits and pieces of leftover food. After rinsing off the suds, he set it to the side on a drying rack. His face was flushed from the hot water, and his hands dry from the soap. He left out a sigh of relief as he drained the water. Frypan walked over to him, noticing the job he'd done. "Not bad," he said looking over the washed dishes. "We'll have to put you on dish duty more often." He said with a smile, knowing Alexander would oppose to it. Alexander quickly shook his head. "Cooking is more fun..." He said quietly, causing Frypan to laugh.

Alexander looked around the kitchen, noticing that the line had diminished, making it time for the cooks to eat. He settled in his usual spot and pulled a plate towards him. The kitchen was quiet as they all ate through their food, giving Alexander another chance to think about what he'd say to Chuck. Because the more time the better. He didn't want to scare him, or accidentally push him to tell one of the older boys. He quickly decided to just be honest. He'd had a dream and didn't know what it meant, that's what had happened, and that's what he'd tell Chuck. With his decision made Alexander slipped off the stool and placed his plate in the sink.

Frypan looked to Alexander. "Don't worry about coming for dinner. You've done enough for today." Alexander smiled. "Thanks," he said politely as he walked from the room, sending a quick wave at the other cooks. He sucked in a breath of clean air, happy to have escaped from the crowded kitchen. He started his trek to find Chuck, heading across the Glade towards a group of Sloppers. Among the gathered boys was Chuck. He had a shovel thrown over his shoulder. Like Alexander, his cheeks were also flushed from the heat and his breath labored from work. He smiled once he saw Alexander. "Hey Alec," he said lightly. "You done at the kitchen?"

Alexander nodded. "Are you done here yet?" Chuck also gave a nod, "we're just putting some stuff away. I'll be done in a second." Before Alexander could respond, a red headed boy passed Chuck a bucket and gestured towards an seemingly abandoned shack. "Meet you at the tree!" Chuck called out over his shoulder as he lugged the bucket along, following the boy. Alexander headed off to their usual meeting spot and settled down underneath the tree, leaning back against the rough bark. He took a deep breath, feeling quite nervous. What he was about to tell Chuck was crazy. Would he believe him? Alexander shook his head, he was the one being crazy. Of course he'd believe him, Alexander would believe Chuck if it was the other way around. Wouldn't he?

He began thinking about the strange dreams again, specifically about his mom. His missed her, he missed playing with her. He remembered watching the boys he now knew, through the monitor, watching his mom take notes furiously as she studied them. Alexander also remembered wanting to let the boys out, and her telling him it couldn't be done. But none of that mattered, it didn't matter what she'd done. Alexander still loved her.

There was then a rustling heard next to him and he opened his eyes to see a robotic bug. He studied it for a few second, wondering what it was. But it scampered away, disappearing into the woods.

Alexander was so distracted by the strange bug, he hadn't noticed Chuck. The boy plopped down next to Alexander. "So," he said. "What's up? Wanna go play catch or something?" Alexander shook his head, his stomach erupting with butterflies as he realized it was time to tell Chuck. "I a-actually have to talk to you about… something.." He stuttered out, struggling to meet Chuck's eyes. Chuck noticed his reluctance to reveal the news, "Alexander," he said, "what's going on? You can tell me." Alexander nodded, "I know I can." He sucked in a breath before breaking out into story, he told Chuck all about his odd flashbacks. About watching Chuck go up in the box, about what Janson had said… And lastly about his mom.

Chuck jaw had dropped open at Alexander's first words, "I remember." And it hadn't closed throughout the entire story. When Alexander finished he simply sat there, unmoving. "I- you-you remember.." Nobody ever remembered anything, not here. Not in the Glade. Even hearing the word 'remember' felt odd, and out of place. Something weird was going on, the voice they'd all heard, Alexander hadn't. And now he was remembering things? Chuck decided they had to tell someone, Alexander said he'd told Chuck because he deserved to know. Well everyone else deserved to know just as much. Chuck jumped up and sealed his hand around Alexander's wrist, pulling him up and towards the Homestead. "We gotta find Alby, now!"

Panic began to flood Alexander's mind, clouding his thoughts. He didn't know how they'd all react, he knew little about banishment, but he feared he'd learn a lot about it if he didn't stop Chuck.

"Chuck, wait!" Alexander shouted. Chuck didn't pause, causing Alec to yank his hand back. "I told you because you deserved to know… I-I don't know if I want everyone to know yet…" Chuck did stop at this. "We can't just keep it a secret!" "Can't keep what a secret?" Alec whirled around to find Newt standing there, arms crossed in what Alec had previously seen as a friendly manner. Now though, he was terrified. He didn't want to be banished, didn't want to get in trouble.

He tensed, not being able to take all of the emotions flooding through him. He turned on his heel and ran, ran all the way back to the trees and past them, past the deadheads until he slammed into the corner where the walls connected. He didn't care if Chuck told them anymore, he just wanted his mom back. Wanted to know, for once, that everything was going to be okay again. Wanted the mother he remembered to rescue him from this place and take him back home, where he was safe.

That was when the boy finally broke down for good, curling up and pressing himself hard into the corner as he sobbed, muffling the noise in his arm. He sat there, shaking slightly, for a while before the tears stopped. He froze when he heard Newt's voice calling his name softly. "Xander? Xander, are you out here?" Alec closed his eyes tightly, giving in to the illusion that it would only be real if he looked. He heard Newt's surprised gasp when he found him, heard it when the Glader ran over and fell to his knees next to him, but he still refused to open his eyes.

"No, no…. Xander don't cry, there's nothing to cry about." Alexander shook his head, "everyone knows. I'm gonna get in trouble, I'm gonna get banished!" He cried out. Newt blinked, he was worried about banishment? "You aren't getting banished, there's no way any of us would let that happen, and Chuck only told me. No one else knows." He explained, and Alexander's tears slowed. "I just, I miss my mom…." He admitted reluctantly, and Newt's heart broke at the words.

Alec buried his face into Newt's chest, still crying. "But why? If she-she was the leader of this… Why would she send me in here…?" Newt shook his head, "I don't know. But it must have been for a good reason. And no mother would let her child get hurt, that I know. I promise Xander, whatever happens, you won't get hurt. And I'll get you back to your mom. And guess what?" Newt asked softly. Alec sniffed, looking at the Glader, a confused expression written on his face. "What?" he asked. "I know, that Minho, Thomas, Chuck, Frypan, Alby, and I, along with so many other Gladers, care so much about you. And I know, that we're going to fight tooth and nail to get you back to your mom, okay?" Alec nodded, smiling.

"Now," Newt started, standing and helping Alec up as well. "Let's get back to everyone else, okay?" Alec nodded. "I just have one question… in my memory, my mom and I had telepathy," Alec said, proud of himself for pronouncing the word correctly. "Why didn't I hear what you heard then?" Newt's eyes widened. "Because… you might have been the one who said it." Alec froze. "What did you hear?" he asked, remembering his mom saying that if he wasn't paying attention he could have accidentally said something to someone in the W.I.C.K.E.D. compound. That wouldn't change here, would it? "You said-well, we heard, something about a job."

Newt's eyes suddenly widened in realization, "that was the day you got your job!" He pulled Alexander back down, they both sat facing each other. "Try and tell me something, just me." Newt instructed, looking directly into Alexander's eyes. Alexander squeezed his eyes shut, he knew how to do this, he could do this, he thought, trying to pump himself up. 'Hi,' he thought, directing it towards Newt. But the boy seated just a few feet from him didn't react, showing Alexander that he hadn't heard. Alexander tried again, this time trying to not think about it. 'Hi' he thought again with emphasis.

Newt's face broke out into a smile as Alexander's voice rang through his head. "Hello," he said, showing he'd heard. Alexander jumped up and threw his arms around Newt. He'd done it! Newt suddenly pulled out of the hug and gestured to something out of Alexander's view, he turned to see one of the weird bugs from earlier. "Check it out," Newt said, "it's a beetle blade, probably your mom watching you right now." Alexander smiled, feeling comforted by the thought. Wherever his mom was now, he was sure she was proud.


	11. Grey Skies and the Box

**This chapter's song is... Keep Your Head Up by Andy Grammar.**

Alexander walked with Newt back to the Glade, relaxed now that he knew nothing bad was going to happen. Newt turned as they made their way out of the trees, "it's about dinner time, d'you want to go see if we can get food early?" Alec nodded. "Yeah, Frypan gave me a break from helping anyways." Newt grinned, nodding his head. "Yeah, Alby talked to him about it earlier, and he looked like he'd never been so offended in his life. The guy cares, even though he doesn't show it." Alec nodded, thinking back to the cake the cook had made him.

"So… what're you gonna do about my memories?" Alec asked, almost afraid of the answer. "Me?" Newt asked, an eyebrow raised, "I'm not gonna do anything. It's your choice whether or not anyone else is going to know. Besides, I only heard parts of it. Chuck wasn't exactly calm and coherent." Alec bit his lip. "I remember my mom telling me that everyone in the Glade was saving humanity. What does that mean?" Newt shook his head. "No clue. But since it bloody well doesn't tell us how to get out, I'm not too worried about it."

Alec smiled. He knew Newt was one of the nicer Gladers, but he didn't know that he would be given a choice in the matter. He decided he would tell Thomas, and Minho. Thomas because he trusted the boy, and Minho because he slept in the same room as him every night.

He looked at Newt, he knew he would support whatever Alexander chose. "I'm gonna tell Thomas, and I'm gonna tell Minho." Newt nodded, not saying anything. Alec's eyebrows furrowed slightly. "You're not going to ask why?" Newt shook his head. "You have your reasons, and I'm not gonna shuckin' push you to tell me," he said simply. Alec relaxed further.

"What happens if I accidentally say something else?" Alexander questioned, Newt frowned. "I'd assume now that you knew, it probably wouldn't happen again. But if it does, it's not that big of a deal. I would like to tell Alby about this though, if you're okay with that." Newt looked to him with a smile, and Alexander nodded. "I suppose that couldn't hurt…" Newt laughed lightly. "Trust me, Alby's not gonna care. He'll just be glad it wasn't the Creators sendin' us a message. He's been watchin' the Gardeners for the past few days, trying to figure out what was so important." Alec giggled, slapping a hand over his mouth. "Sorry, I know it's not funny that he was on edge…" Newt shook his head. "It was. It definitely was."

Alexander smiled, the last bit of worry about his telepathy fading away. "Well," Newt started, "time to cross our fingers." He walked up to the kitchens, knocking on the door and waiting a moment until the door swung open, the other four workers not even stopping their jobs before saying, "Hey Newt." Newt grinned. "Frypan, I don't suppose Xander and I could get dinner a bit early, could we?" he asked politely. Frypan rolled his eyes. "Only 'cause Alec's with you. And only this _once_ ," he added with a stern look at Newt before he continued cooking.

Newt grinned, snagging two plates and sitting at one of the tables scattered unevenly throughout the space in front of the kitchens. He placed a plate down in front of Alec when he sat down next to him, and Alexander licked his lips at the sight, prompting Newt to laugh. A grilled cheese sandwich with an apple. "Oh shuck! I forgot the drinks…" Newt said. "I got it!" Alec said eagerly. "Are you sure? I can go get them…" Newt said hesitantly. Alexander shook his head. "I got it." Newt grinned, "Okay then!"

Alexander jumped up, jogging over to the kitchens and walking in, grabbing two cups that were on the ledge and walking carefully back out. Travis nodded to him as he passed, on his way to fill the spots Alexander just made. The boy nodded back, walking backwards out of the kitchens to hold the door open before walking back over to Newt. He placed one cup over by Newt's plate, the other by his. Newt nodded his thanks, picking up his sandwich and taking a bite since he waited for Alexander to get back.

Alexander grabbed his sandwich, following suit. They had soon finished their dinner, their apple juice the only thing left. They finished that and Newt put the plates and cups in the buckets under the ledge. When Newt walked back he nodded to Alexander, motioning for him to follow him. "Let's go talk to Alby. The rest of the Gladers will be ready to eat soon." Alexander nodded, taking a deep breath. He didn't know why, but he suddenly felt nervous about telling the leader. What if he didn't accept Alexander's telepathy as well as Newt did? What if he thought it was a bad sign and wanted him banished? Newt saw the boy's unease and frowned.

"We don't have to tell him if you don't want to…" Newt said slowly. Alec shook his head and crossed his arms stubbornly. "Let's get this over with." Newt nodded and clapped Alexander on the back. "It's the right thing to do," he said. Alexander gave him a nervous smile as they began to walk. They crossed the Glade, and found Alby at the Gardens. Their leader turned once he heard their approach. "Hey Newt, Alexander," he said, nodding towards the younger boy.

"Can we talk to you for a second?" Newt asked. Alby nodded and Newt grabbed his arm, pulling him away from the group of working Gardeners. Alby looked between the two, a confused look on his face. _What was so important the other couldn't hear?_ He thought to himself. Newt jerked his chin towards Alexander. "Go on," he said simply. Alexander looked down to his feet and Newt placed a reassuring hand on his back. He struggled with his words, but then had an idea. He looked back up to Alby, meeting his eyes and then directed his next thought towards the boy. ' _I'm the voice.'_

Alby's jaw dropped, but the hole soon formed into a smile. He reached forward and clapped Alexander on the shoulder. "Better it be you than the Creators. Ay'?" He said lightly, a smile still written on his face. Alexander grinned, looking at Newt who nodded. ' _So you're not freaked out over this?'_ he sent. Alby shook his head. "I will have to ask you to refrain from talking to the other Gladers though. Unless you tell them. We don't need any more stress around here." Alec nodded. ' _I'm telling Thomas and Minho soon."_ Alby nodded again. "I expected as much."

Newt yawned. "Well, the Runner's will be back soon, and I think Xander an' I'll meet 'em at the Door," he said. Alby nodded, and Alexander followed as Newt jogged to the Door and sat down by it. Alec followed suit, leaning half against the wall and half against Newt. Newt looked down at the boy, Alexander sighed softly, the sigh turning quickly into a long yawn. He squirmed against Newt for a second, getting more comfortable before closing his eyes.

"Xander, Xander, wake up!" he heard. Suddenly there were two hands on his shoulders shaking him slightly, and his eyes snapped open. Newt was still sitting next to him, but Minho and Thomas were kneeling in front of him, amused looks on their faces. Alec jumped up, rubbing his eyes. "Sorry!" Newt laughed. "It's fine, I almost fell asleep too." Minho grinned. "Almost? You were practically drooling on him!" Newt glared at him, attempting to resist smiling, and failing miserably as his face broke out into a smile.

Thomas reached forward, slipping Newt's satchel off his arm and then guzzling down some of the water before passing it to Minho. Minho clasp the satchel, drinking some himself before throwing it back at Newt and the blonde boy tipped over the bottle, and watched a single drop dribbled out. He rolled his eyes, and sat back down against the wall, pulling Minho and Thomas down with him. "Listen guys, we've got some news," he explained, and then nodded at Alexander. "Show 'em." He said, a proud smile visible on his face.

Alexander looked forward at the runners. He'd have to tell both of them, he closed his eyes deciding to make it an experiment. ' _Hey guys.'_ He thought towards the both of them. Minho immediately smiled, and leaned forward, pulling Alexander into a quick comforting hug, relived the young boy had been the voice. But Thomas's face remained expressionless. _Was he missing something?_ Newt watched Minho for a second, amused by his calm reaction. It was then that the blonde boy noticed that Thomas hadn't had a reaction. "Tommy?" he asked, "you heard that, right?" Thomas shook his head, but realized what Minho had heard and what Alexander had learned to do. "I don't hear it," he said, his eyebrows knitting together.

Alexander blinked in confusion. "Let me try again…" He said slowly. " _Can you hear me?"_ He thought, directing the thought at Thomas only. But the runner once again shook his head. "Nothing." Newt frowned, and Minho wore a surprised expression. They were all silent, unsure of what to say. Except for Alexander, the boy sat there, staring intensely at Thomas. " _HELLO?"_ He thought, screaming inside his own head. He still received no reaction, but his dedication didn't waver. He sent different words and phrases, refusing to believe he couldn't be heard. He finally sent out one last angry thought, "Shuck!" He thought loudly, not thinking about who to direct it towards. But instead of Thomas having any reaction, as he'd wished, Newt and Minho both did. They clutched their hands against their ears.

"Watch it Alec!' Minho said, his head still ringing. Alexander frowned. "Sorry," he muttered. "Accident." Newt rolled his eyes, "okay Xander. Time for bed, before you give us all a headache." He said jokingly, sending a smile towards the boy. Minho nodded, standing and pulling Alexander up with him. "Let's head back to the room." "But-" Alexander started, wanting to continue with his mind tricks, but Minho held up a finger. "Bed. Now." He said firmly. Alexander frowned but grudgingly walked off.

Newt and Thomas followed for a while, but instead of walking into the Homestead they turned walking towards the kitchen. Thomas wanted to get something to eat before mapping out his and Minho's findings. Meanwhile, Alec and Minho pounded up the creaky steps and then headed into their room. Alexander walked over to his bed and he leaned back on it, balancing himself as he pulled off his shoes. Minho was already settled into his bed when Alexander climbed into his own. ' _Goodnight.'_ he thought towards his roommate; it was growing easier to communicate that way. It didn't take as much strength as it used to. Minho groaned, "stop that! It scares the crap outta me." Alexander giggled before rolling over, and falling into a dreamless sleep.

Four hours later Minho awoke earlier than he normally would. He frowned to himself as he looked around the darkened room. _Was the sun not out yet?_ he shrugged to himself, and knowing he wouldn't be able to sleep anymore he swung his legs to the side of his bed, standing and stretching before noticing the squared paper on his bed stand. He swiped the paper off the battered wood it lay on and scanned the words sprawled on the paper while leaning back against his bed. 'No more supplies.. No more boys. He's the last one.'

Minho's heart practically skipped a beat as he realized who the note was from. And realized who it referred to, Alexander was the last Greenie. He was the last one, _ever_. He jumped up, slipping his feet into his shoes and sprinting down the hall to Alby's room. He grabbed at the handle and twisted, but his hand just slid uselessly around the handle, the handle remaining locked. Minho groaned, _what did Alby have that was worthy enough for him to lock his door?_ He took a step back and shifted his weight to his left leg, snapping his other out at the handle. The foot connected, and the rusty metal fell off the door and then clattered to the floor. Minho pushed at the door and then burst into the room.

Alby bolted awake as soon as Minho entered. "You Shank!" he cried, looking at the damage Minho had done to the door. "The hell is so important?!" Minho took a few heavy steps forward, the wood creaking under his feet. He shoved the note at Alby's face, and Alby quickly scanned it. Then looked up at Minho disbelievingly. "Where did you find this?"

Minho pointed back to the hall. "In my room. It was on my nightstand when I woke up this morning." Alby groaned. "Just when things were getting back to normal!" Minho frowned. "You're not worried about this?" Alby sighed. "Of course I am. But it's not going to do anyone any good if I start runnin' around panicking, now will it?" Minho bit his lip. "What're we gonna do?" Alby shook his head. "We can harvest seeds from the plants we've already planted, breed the animals instead of killin' 'em right away. We'll figure it out. In the meantime, you keep going out and doin' your thing. We'll have a gatherin' later when you get back. Now go."

Minho nodded, he picked up the handle from the floor and set it gingerly door on Alby's nightstand. "Sorry bout that…" He muttered. Alby rolled his eyes as Minho turned away from him, walking quietly back to his room. He got dressed, waking Alec as usual and waiting while the kid woke and got up. They walked out of the Homestead, freezing at what they saw. Well, Minho froze. Alexander ran smack into the brunette.

"Oh. We gotta tell Alby," Minho said, looking up at the grey sky that resembled more a ceiling than an actual sky. The sun was nowhere in sight. How were they supposed to grow plants with no sun? He turned on his heel ready to run back up to Alby, but paused when he remember Alexander. He squatted down to the young boys level. "Go find Thomas," he said. "Stay with him until someone tells you other wise. Okay?" Alexander looked into Minho's eyes, he grew scared when he saw the fear that lay in them. But he nodded anyways and started running towards the Deadheads where he'd previously seen Thomas sleeping.

His heart began to pound and his breaths grew heavy as he ran, if Minho was worried he should be too. But he wasn't sure what he should worry about. It was a cloudy day. So what? Alexander felt he should be afraid, but he didn't know what to fear. He finally slowed his running when he saw Thomas's sleeping silhouette in the distance. He crouched down next to the boy and shook him awake. Meanwhile, Minho shoved open Alby's door again, storming in.

Alby groaned, sitting up and glaring. "Is this gonna be a common thing?" he asked finally throwing his legs over the side of the bed and transferring his weight onto them. "What's going on?" he questioned, awaiting the Runner's reply. "I thought you were going into the Maze." Minho shook his head.

"Alby. You need to come, now," he said and Alby blinked, taken aback by his sudden seriousness. Minho stepped forward and grabbed him by the arm, dragging him from the Homestead. Alby looked towards the different workstations, seeing nothing but the usual. Only a few Gladers were awake, the ones that were wandered around the Glade doing nothing in particular. Minho nudged him and pointed up. It was then the Alby's heart dropped. The sky… It wasn't like a sky. It was a dome.

Alby looked at Minho, his mouth gaping open. "What the hell is that?" Minho shook his head, wishing he had an answer. He began to ask about a Gathering when a large rumbling filled the Glade. Minho let out a sigh, the familiar sound bringing him a strange sense of comfort. He looked off into the distance, watching the the large ivy covered doors inch themselves open. Alby gripped Minho's shoulder, pulling his gaze away from the doors and towards his leader. "Gathering," Alby said, "we gotta wake up the other keepers." Minho shook his head. "I gotta get my Runners into the Maze. We gotta be out there today." Alby bit his lip, hesitantly looking back towards the doors. He didn't want to send them out there but knew he had to.

He finally nodded. I want you all in pairs, call it the buddy system." Minho gave a small smile. "We'll hold the Gathering later. Alright?" Alby nodded once again and started towards the Homestead. "You and Thomas get out there. I'll wake the rest of the runners and get 'em out," he called over his shoulder. Minho ran toward the kitchen. He pulled open the door and was greeted by Frypan. The cook passed him a few sandwiches and two water bottles. "Where's Thomas?" he asked while Minho crossed the kitchen to fill the bottles. "He's off with Alexander," Minho said quickly. "Fry, why are you so shuckin' calm? Ya sleep in the kitchen or somethin'? Have you not seen the sky?" Minho asked as the water gushed through the drain. Frypans eyes snapped towards the running water, "fill the bottles or turn it off," he said flatly.

Minho rolled his eyes and shoved a bottle underneath, the water level began to raise as it filled the bottle. "And for your information, I did see. What I didn't see however, was the point in worrying. No one was awake yet, and I wasn't gonna wake anyone. Y'all are grumpy in the morning," Frypan said while chopping onions. "Can you send Alexander my way when you head out for the Maze? I want him to help with breakfast." Minho nodded, slightly in a daze from how calm the cook was. His bottle overflowed, the water splashing on his hands. Minho quickly switched the bottles, filling Thomas's. After it filled he clamped on the lids and headed out of the kitchen, sending a quick wave in Frypans direction as he left.

Minho headed back up to his room, his feet pounding heavily on the steps. He was in a hurry to get into the Maze. He grabbed some bags and stuffed them with paper, food, water, and weapons. He walked outside, wondering where Thomas had ended up.

The boy normally slept at the Deadheads but it had been awhile since he'd sent Alexander to wake him… He sucked in a breath, not wanting to waste time. He started towards the Deadheads but his head quickly filled with a seemingly annoyed voice. And Minho groaned when he realized it was Alexander. ' _Wrong way,'_ the voice said. Minho turned, beginning to walk towards to Gardens before being interrupted by the voice again. ' _Maze doors Minho. Maze doors. Thomas is laughing at you,'_ Minho let out another sigh and began jogging towards the doors.

He'd waited and searched for 2 years, searched for an escape for two years. He hoped the grey sky was a clue of sorts, because he was ready to escape. He was ready to crack the code and escape the Maze.


	12. The Opened Doors

**This chapter's song is... Eye of the Tiger by Journey**

Alexander wrapped his arms around Minho, burying his face into the Runner's shirt. He wished they didn't have to leave, with everything going on already he didn't want them getting hurt. ' _Do you have to go?'_ he thought towards the boy. Minho clapped him on the back twice in reply, and Alexander knew the answer to his unanswered question. Minho nudged Thomas's shoulder, telling him it was time to go. The two turned, running off into the dark Maze.

Minho sucked in a breath through his nose, preparing himself for a day of running as he always did. The thick ivy that covered the walls was visible to him through the corner of his eye. Minho drew his knife and sliced through the thick vines. They fell soundlessly to the ground; Minho squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, trusting Thomas not to let him slam into a wall. He had to clear his mind as he did every day upon entering the Maze. If he didn't focus on running he'd focus on everything else and never notice any changes. He open his eyes and made a sharp turn, beginning to focus on his form. _Long strides,_ he told himself as he watched the Maze fly by. _Just run,_ he told himself, _don't think about the sky, don't think about the Creators, just run._ The stress began to wear away as his face began to glisten with sweat. He glanced over at Thomas and watched him sketch down their current trail. Minho smiled to himself, if situations were different he would've allowed Thomas to run on his own a while ago.

Back in the Glade, Alexander headed towards the kitchen. He pushed open the door and strode in. Frypan had the other cooks gathered and looked to be having some sort of meeting. He glanced up and saw Alexander. The cook reached over the table they were all sitting at and pushed out a chair for the boy. Alexander walked over, sitting in the chair. "What's going on?" he questioned, gazing at the head cook. Frypan held up a hand in reply and continued what he'd been saying. "So, because we won't have the amount of food we had before we're going to be cooking more," Frypan paused, letting out a shuttering sigh, as if what he were about to say was hard for him. "Vegetarian meals," he finished briskly.

Some of the gathered cooks raised their eyebrows, but nodded. Frypan looked around at their reactions while continuing. "I talked to Alby this morning and he told me to ration out what we did have. So today I'm sending a few of you out to find berries or plants, anything you can that we can eat. Besides, there won't be much to do around here if all we're eating is salad." The cooks nodded at their keeper and a few of them volunteered to go search for the needed food.

"James, Adam, and Justin. Be back in around 20 minutes. The rest of you can stay here and help me." James and Adam cheered, high-fiving before running loudly through the door. Frypan rolled his eyes. "God forbid they be serious for once," he muttered, looking absently out the window. "Travis, dishes. Alexander you're helping me prepare the food. And Jamie," he said looking towards the remaining boy. "I want you to wipe down the kitchen," he reached to his left and grabbed a sponge, throwing it towards him. "Alright," he said with a clap of his hands, "let's go!"

All of the boys separated, heading towards different corners and areas of the kitchen. Alexander stood by Frypan and watched him pull open the fridge. He pulled out a large bowl, and Alexander stood up on his tippy toes struggling to see the inside. Frypan chuckled at him. "Grapes," he said, passing the bowl to Alexander to hold. Alexander clutched it against his chest, refusing to let it fall. He trudged over to the counters and pushed the bowl across the wooden surface until it lay a few inches away from the edge.

Frypan came up behind the boy and set a few other bowls onto the counter. He then reached back and grabbed a stool, before picking Alexander up by the torso and placing him on it. He gestured to a cupboard close to Alexander. "Do ya mind getting the bowls?" he asked while washing his hands. Alexander leaned forward and gripped the handle, pulling open the cupboard. He spotted the bowls near the back of the cupboard and placed them in front of himself.

Frypan scooted the bowl a few inches left, and passed Alexander a rag to wipe his hands with. He then went on to explain what they were doing. "Handful of this," he said gesturing toward one of the bowls, "a few the these," he said nodded toward another, "and one of these," he said, grabbing an apple from the bowl and tossing it up. Alexander reached up and caught it before Frypan could, placing the apple firmly in the bowl and surrounding it with fruit. After doing so he slid the finished bowl further down on the counter and then started another. Frypan watched him for a few more seconds, making sure the boy got the hang of it before starting himself.

 _Strawberry, blueberry, apple…_ Alexander told himself as he and Frypan made their way through the fruit. He couldn't help but notice how small of a meal it would be. _Is this what not being given supplies would mean?_ Alexander shook off the thought. They had plenty of food, and the other boys were off scavenging right now. He nodded to himself, they were fine. They would be _fine_. As if his thought triggered it, the door burst open and in walked Adam and James. Both boys clutched bundles of green stemmed plants against their chests. Frypan, who'd looked worried about their food supply earlier, broke out a smile. He stepped away from where he'd been working and slapped his hand on the counter. "Right here!" he said.

Both boys opened their arms, dropping the loads of green onto the wood. Frypan slapped them both on the back proudly, just as Justin walked in carrying baskets of berries. "I checked with the Gardeners to make sure they were safe," he said as he also placed them on the counter. Frypan grinned and snapped his fingers at Travis. "Forget the dishes. Get these greens cleaned up and in plates. We're gonna get some hungry Gladers soon." Travis quickly dried his hands and then dumped the plants into a drainer. He swished the drainer around under the running water and watched the dirt pour off and into the sink.

Soon everything they needed was cleaned. Alexander placed a finished bowl and salad together and then plotted it onto the ledge. He repeated the process many times. As soon as he put a plate down, it was snatched up and then replaced by another finished plate. Most Gladers grumbled when they saw the salads, but didn't dare say a word to Frypan.

Alexander sat at the ledge, feeling strange now that the sky wasn't the usual bright blue. He picked at his food, eating the apple and blueberries but nothing else. Frypan frowned when he set his dish next to the sink. "What's wrong with it?" Alexander shook his head. "Nothing… I'm just not hungry." Frypan sighed, standing from his stool and kneeling down in front of Alexander. "Hey, we're gonna be fine. All of us." Alexander nodded, smiling slightly. "Now," the cook started. "You get out of here. They're gonna need your help in the Gardens today."

Alexander nodded, walking out of the kitchens and jogging over to the Gardens where Connor was kneeling and picking grapes from a vine. "Hey, where's Brenden?" Connor turned to face him. "Oh, no-one told you? He twisted his ankle and had to spend the night in the infirmary. They don't think it's broken, but they don't want him walkin' on it, just incase. He's havin' me work with ya today." Alexander nodded, biting his lip. "Is he gonna be okay?" Connor nodded. "He'll be fine. They're just bein' cautious."

Alexander knelt down next to the redhead. "So what am I doing today?" He asked lightly. "You're helpin' me pick these grapes, then you're gonna run 'em up to the kitchens, while I start on the apples," he said, pointing to the apple trees behind the garden. "Okay!" Alexander said cheerfully. Connor handed him a basket, telling him to fill it up halfway with green grapes, then the other half, with red ones. The boy nodded looking determinedly at the grapes. He picked green ones first, leaning into the vines to reach some of them.

After about thirty minutes he started picking red grapes, having to reach precariously over three rows of vines to get to them. The task was mind numbing, _pick, drop, pick, drop_. He sighed, sneaking a glance over at Connor. He almost groaned out loud when he saw the Gardener was picking grapes as well, whistling happily while he worked. He looked down at the vines, frowning as he filled the basket. Once he was done he snuck another glance at Connor. The redhead made his way to Alexander, kneeling down next to him."Good, you're done. Can you run these up to Frypan then meet me by the apple trees? And grab two baskets from the shed while you're at it." Alexander nodded, smiling. "Great!" Connor exclaimed, walking away towards the trees.

Alexander made his way over to kitchen. He nodded at Frypan upon entering, and set the grapes down on the counter. "Fresh out of the Gardens!" He said to Frypan with a smile. "Good, we're gonna need 'em for lunch. Which we start preparing soon, by the way." Alexander nodded. "I'll be here." He walked out of the kitchens, almost running into Newt. "Hey, where you off to?" Alexander pointed to the Gardens. "I'm helping Connor pick fruit for lunch." Newt grinned. "How about you go tell Connor that I wanted to see you, and you hang out with me for a little bit?" Alexander grinned, nodding as he ran off. He was happy to be away from the boring job, hanging out with Newt would be fun.

He slowed to a walk as he made his way to the shed. He'd get the two baskets for Connor anyways, then go with Newt. He walked up to the leaning wooden structure; it wasn't in very good shape. He swung the door open and it banged against the wall, dust flying everywhere. Even with the shed in bad shape, the Gladers kept the inside neat and tidy. The shovels were in one corner, leaning up against the wall with the rakes and weed wackers beside them. There were shelves lining three walls, with everything from hammers to jars of nails on them.

The shed was dark though, and it gave Alexander the creeps. He raced over to the buckets, grabbing two and dashing out. He shivered. Monsters could have been hiding in there. He shut the door with the dark thought, now jogging lightly over to Connor and handing him the buckets. "Newt said he wanted to see me, so I can't help you with the apples." Connor nodded. "I don't think you'd be tall enough to anyways," he said with a smile. Alexander giggled.

"Actually, before you go, can you grab a bucket of water for me?" Connor asked, pointing to the two buckets under a tree. "I need to water the tomatoes." Alexander nodded. "Sure." He walked over, picking one bucket up and walking it carefully over to the Glader; but the water still sloshed over the edge, falling to the ground at his shoes. "Oh!" Alexander exclaimed, tipping the bucket the other way. The weight of it caught up though, forcing him to stumble backwards. He tripped, falling and dumping the entire bucket of water onto himself. Connor ran over, moving the bucket and raising an eyebrow. Alexander groaned, sighing as he stood. "Sorry…" He mumbled. "It's fine," Connor assured. "But I think I'm going to get the other one." Alexander blushed, nodding.

He almost skipped as he made his way back to Newt, then an idea popped into his head. He grinned, closing his eyes before picturing Newt's face. ' _I think I can do this over long distances,'_ he thought, picturing the words flying over the other Gladers and straight to Newt. He opened his eyes in time to see Newt's eyes widen and him stop in the middle of a sentence. Oops. He bit his lip, his eyebrows furrowing. He watched as Newt continued, the other Gladers not even noticing his pause. Alexander sighed in relief, he didn't want to get Newt or himself into trouble.

He made his way over to the blonde, looking up at him and smiling. "Why're you all wet?" Newt asked. "Oh, uh… I slipped … While holding a bucket of water…" Newt rolled his eyes, motioning for Alexander to follow him. The boy did, giggling quietly. Newt made his way to the trees, walking all the way to the back and sitting down. "Now I want you to try to send different messages to me, okay?" He said, wanting to test the boys ability. Alexander nodded, grinning. ' _Like what?'_ Newt smiled. "Tell me about your day so far." Alexander took a deep breath, sitting down and closing his eyes. ' _Why are we doing this? I thought I wasn't supposed to do this?'_ Newt shook his head. "You can, just not to Gladers who don't know about it." Alexander nodded.

' _Well, my day was pretty boring. I helped Frypan cook breakfast, ate, then helped Connor pick grapes. I went into the shed and got a couple baskets for him too. That place is creepy.'_ Newt chuckled. "Why is it creepy?" ' _Because! It's dark. Monsters could be anywhere in there!'_ Newt was struck again with just how young Alexander really was. "Tell me about your mom. If it's okay…" Alexander paused, before grinning widely. ' _She's nice, she has blonde hair and blue eyes and she's got a calm voice and… She's the head of W.I.C.K.E.D.'_

Newt frowned. "Oh no. We already know about the bad stuff. But nobody's perfect. And I'm sure she had a good reason for that. But for now let's focus on the good stuff." Alexander nodded, thinking. All of a sudden a flood of memories came through him, he looked younger than he did now. He watched as his mother swing her purse onto her shoulder, ' _Alexander!' She called out, 'come on! We need to get you to daycare!' Past Alexander frowned, not wanting to leave. He had situated himself on the floor, surrounded by toy cars and trucks. His mother pulled open the door and stepped outside, she glanced around for her boy; but upon seeing he wasn't with her, she walked back into the house. Her heels clicked through the hallway and Alexander knew it was time to go. He picked up one of his favorite cars, a small blue one, and slipped it into his pocket just as his mother entered the room. 'Come on honey, we've got to-'_

Newt grabbed Alexander's shoulders, trying to snap him out of his daze. The young boy stumbled a bit, trying to gather his wits. Newt's face mirrored that of someone who'd just seen a unicorn. He knelt down to Alexander's level, looking him directly in the eye. "That- that's how you see things?" Newt said, unable to speak clearly. He was amazed. Alexander was what, 5? 6? And he treated this as something that happened frequently, as if it didn't even bother him.

Alexander nodded. "You saw it too?" He questioned, finally back in the present. "I saw everything…" Newt said quietly. "Are you okay?" He asked. Alexander nodded, "of course. This isn't the first time," he said with a smile, finding Newt's hesitation and questions funny. The flashbacks had become a new normal for him. He looked forward to them. Newt shook his head, standing up. He tried to shake off the strange feeling that had enveloped him. He had never remembered… Well. Remembering. He didn't know what it was like outside the Glade, and he felt like he'd just had a glimpse into a different world.

Alexander sighed contently, opening his eyes and also standing. ' _I have to go help Frypan with lunch. Will you come with me? I want to tell him about this.'_ Newt nodded. "Of course." Alexander smiled, walking slowly to the kitchens. "Frypan," Newt said before the cook could begin to give orders, "can we talk to you for a second?" Newt asked, placing a hand on Alexander's shoulder. "Yeah, what's up?" the cook asked, wiping his hands on his pants as he walked out of the kitchen.

Newt led them behind the building, out of sight of the rest of the Gladers. Frypan frowned. "What's goin' on?" Newt looked at Alexander, nodding slightly. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes again. ' _I'm the voice you all heard. I didn't know it at the time, but I do now. Newt realized it first,'_ he sent to Frypan and Newt. Newt smiled, nodding proudly while Frypan looked like a fish out of water, his mouth opening and closing while he looked from Newt to Alexander then back to Newt again, as if he couldn't believe this was real. "But… how?" Newt shook his head. "Beat's me." Frypan shook his head. "It doesn't matter, but, geez." Newt nodded, smiling.

Frypan clapped his hands. Shaking off his surprise. "Well! Come on! We've got food to prepare!" Alexander smiled, looking at Newt happily. The blonde smiled in response, nodding for the boy to follow the cook. Alexander did, walking into the kitchen and waiting as Frypan told everyone where to work.

He was was told to wash the grapes, and that went by quickly. After washing them Frypan had sent him to chop up the leaves of lettuce for the soup while Travis was bent over a pot, boiling the water.

Frypan stood next to Alexander, watching over him. Eventually he pulled over a few potatoes and began chopped them himself. The expirienced cook chopped much quickly than Alexander; he turned and walked towards the stove. He held the battered wooden cutting board over the boiling water then brushed the potatoes in. The water began bubbling harder, completely submerging the potatoes. Alexander chopped up the last bits of lettuce and then passed his own board to Frypan, who dumped in the last ingredients.

Alexander watched the water boil for a second, fearing it would go over the edge. But Travis didn't seem worried, he slowly stirred in the bits and pieces of food. After a few minutes of that, he turned the stove down. As the stove had gone down so did the boiling, leaving the kitchen silent. Alexander noticed how few of them were there and turned asking Frypan about it. The cook shrugged his shoulders. "Soup isn't hard, there's not much to do. No point in having a bunch of ya just standin' around. Speaking of that, dinner will be quite late tonight. I reckon the doors'll be closed before we have it." Alexander and Travis both nodded towards him.

Frypan reached up toward the cabinet and pulled out a few bowls. He passed a few to Alexander, and then took a few for himself. Travis began spooning equal amounts of soup into the bowls. Alexander held out two of the bowls, and once they were filled he strode over to the ledge placing the bowls onto it. Frypan stretched over the counter that separated them and passed him another bowl, which Alexander also placed on the ledge.

They continued to stock the ledge, Travis ladled in the soup, Frypan passed it to Alexander, Alexander put it on the ledge. Soon Gladers began to appear, they picked their bowl of choice and snatched up a spoon before heading off. Adam and James's familiar faces appeared at one point, Alexander smiled at them, but it felt odd to see them on the other side of the ledge.

A few minutes later, most of the Gladers had been fed and the cooks were getting ready to eat. The three of them sat around one of the smaller tables, spooning the soup into their mouths. After finishing, Alexander stood and set his bowl into the sink. Frypan had denied his request to do the dishes, telling the boy that he'd make Adam and James do them later. Alexander giggled at that, just when the boys thought they'd make it to the clear.

He walked from the kitchen, off to find Chuck. He located him underneath his usual tree, slouched against it and looking worried. Alexander sat down next to him. "Are you okay?" The boy asked. Chuck nodded, "it's all just weird. Ya know? The whole sky thing." Alexander nodded, turning and leaning against the tree. "I'm sure it'll be okay," he said. "Minho and Frypan said it would." Chuck also gave a nod. "You're right," he said while straightening and turning, meeting Alexander's eyes. "Let's just not talk about it. Try to forget about it." "Let's," Alexander agreed.

Chuck smiled, relaxing. "So, anything happen today? Any more flashbacks?" Alexander's eyes widened as he realized he hadn't told him. "I did have another," he said. Chuck leaned forward, showing interest. "What about?" Alexander began to explain about his mother and the toy cars. But an idea suddenly dawned on him as he remembered how Newt had seen the flashback. "Let me show you." Chuck's eyebrows knitted together in confusion, but before he could ask a colorful video appeared beneath his eyes. He watched Alexander's mother hurry the boy along, and then once it was over he looked to his friend with astonishment. "How…?"

Alexander shrugged, "I don't know. I figured it out this morning with Newt." Chuck nodded, "Is that really how you see things?" "Yup," he replied, he liked that other people could understand now. It was a hard thing to explain, given that the other people had nothing to compare it to. Chuck smiled, his inner child shinning through. "That was cool," he said happily, taking it better than Newt had. Alexander also smiled, "I know! What did you think of my mom?" "She seemed cool." Chuck said. "She really loves you…." he said, trailing off a bit. His smile morphed into a frown, and Alexander noticed.

"What is it?" he asked Chuck. Chuck shook his head, "it's nothing. I just wish I could remember mine." A sudden sadness traveled through Alexander as he realized how lucky he was. Yes, he was younger than the other boys. But he had something none of them had ever had: memories. He reached forward and patted Chuck's arm comfortably. "Chuck," he said. "We're gonna escape. And you _will_ find you mom," he said confidently. Chuck gave a half hearted grunt in reply. Alexander sighed and sat back against the tree. Both boys sat there for a while not speaking. Alexander thought of his mom, and Chuck wished for his.

At some point Alexander drifted off into a light sleep, he was only aware that he'd been sleeping when he was shaken awake by Chuck. The boy looked frantic. Alexander bolted up, quickly getting his feet under him and then standing. "What is it?" he asked, an unknown fear lacing his words. "The doors!" Chuck cried. "They aren't closing!" Alexander's eyes widened, a spiral of dark thoughts going through his head. _The monsters. The monsters are gonna get in the Glade. The monsters are gonna hurt me!_

Chuck noticed how scared Alexander had grown and placed his hands firmly on the boy's shoulders. "Alexander. It's gonna be alright. Okay?" Alexander nodded, not believing a single word he was saying. Chuck also gave a nod, "I've gotta go. Some of the Sloppers are working on the edge of the Glade. I need to make sure they know." Alexander nodded once again, unable to find words to speak. Chuck clapped him on the shoulder before running off through the forest.

Alexander quivered, unable to keep himself calm. He closed his eyes and pictured Newt's face. ' _Newt?'_ he called out with his mind, ' _I'm scared.'_

Newt had been ordering around the builders, but he immediately stopped upon hearing Alexander's voice. He _had_ to find the boy. He shouted out a few more orders and then sprinted across the Glade, located Alexander underneath a tree. The boy was quivering, looking off into the distance, his eyes wide and unblinking. Newt didn't hesitate, he scooped the boy up in his arms and ran to the Homestead. Alexander leaned into the blonde boy, burying his face into his shirt, breathing in his familiar scent. Newt transferred Alexander to his right arm, balancing the boy before pushing open his own door, placing him onto the bed.

"Listen," Newt started, "I'm gonna go gather up the rest up the Gladers. Do not leave this room." Newt took a breath, seeing how truly terrified Alexander looked. "We're gonna be okay." He said reassuringly. Alexander looked into his eyes, seeing the sincerity behind them. Newt turned to leave, but an idea dawned on him, and he turned back. "Tell the Gladers to come here, tell them to get to the Homestead." Alexander nodded, as Newt turned to leave once again. Jogging down the steps and out the door.

Alexander pictured all of the different Gladers and thought out a message. ' _Come to the Homestead,'_ he thought, choosing to keep it simple. And with that, he waited. Soon Gladers began showing up, all of them questioning the voice, and the doors. Alexander bit his lip. What was he supposed to do now? He got them all here, _where was Newt?_ He looked out the window, seeing the blonde running around the Glade and pointing to the Homestead when he came across a Glader. He was directing them all to the same place, but would they all fit? Alexander took a deep breath, forcing himself to try and relax. They would all be fine. Everything would be fine.

He looked back out the window, seeing a steady stream of boys entering the Homestead. But Newt was nowhere to be seen. ' _Newt? I can't see you anymore…'_ Something on the edge of the trees caught his eye and he relaxed when he realized it was Newt waving to him. ' _Oh, I see you now. Sorry.'_ It might not have happened, but Alexander swore he saw Newt rolled his eyes. ' _Hurry though. I don't want the monsters to get_ you _either,'_ he thought.

Newt bit his lip. He heard Alexander worrying, but he couldn't do anything about it. All he could do was hope that they made it back in time. All of them. But there were still a few more missing. He spotted Connor walking over, confusion clear on his face. "I don't have time to explain right now, just go to the Homestead and take anyone you see with you." The redhead nodded, jogging hesitantly to the wooden building. _Who else was missing…_ Newt counted in his head. The only ones left were Frypan and Travis. They were probably in the kitchen. He jogged towards the kitchen, he cursed his limp. For his foot was beginning to ache from all of the running he'd been doing.

Newt opened the kitchen door without knocking, looking in at the cooks in the middle of a meal. "Turn off the stove and anything else you can't leave unsupervised, then head to the Homestead. Now. No time to explain." Frypan did as he was asked, looking at Newt confusedly. Travis walked out first, gasping as he realized what was going on. He and the cook dashed for the Homestead, Newt jogged lightly behind him, he then spotted Minho and Thomas leaving the Map Room, he gestured towards the Homestead and they both nodded.

Newt looked towards the Maze entrance, the builders had barricaded it as well as they could. He sighed and started towards the Homestead. He hadn't seen any other Gladers. He picked up his pace jogging alongside a few other boys, and soon they were all cramped into the Homestead. Alby was huddled in one of the corners, trying to calm everyone down. Thomas and Minho did the same. Newt found Alexander sitting on the bed and walked over joining him. "How ya doin?" Newt asked bluntly as he settled next to the boy. Alexander didn't bother trying to speak over the noise, ' _they keep asking me about the voice. I don't know what to say,'_ he admitted, and Newt frowned. "We'll deal with it later."

There wasn't much to do, all they could do was wait. None of them were sure what would happen. Was this some sort of hoax? Would the doors close tomorrow, and the supplies start to come again? Or would it get worse? Newt let out a shuddering sigh as he looked around the room packed with Gladers. Suddenly he had a bad feeling, rooted in the pit of his stomach. He looked around the room, doing a head count. He wasn't sure of the exact numbers, but after counting, he felt they were off.

"Guys," Newt looked up to see a confused looking Jeff standing in the doorway. "We and Clint just went to check on Brenden and he wasn't there. Where is he?" Newt stomach dropped. _Brenden._ He stood up stepping around the many Gladers sprawled out along the floor. He looked through the many faces, and none of them were Brenden's. All of a sudden a sharp whirling filled the Glade, echoing into the room. Newt's eyes snapped to Alby's. He'd recognize the noise anywhere, _the Grievers were in the Glade._ And Brenden was nowhere to be seen. Newt looked out the small window, where he spotted the silhouette of a Griever making its way towards the Homestead.

Alexander appeared beside Newt, standing on his tippy toes to see out of the dusty window. Newt watched his eyes widen, and the young boy bolted out of the room. Newt blinked and look back out the window, it was then that he saw what Alexander did. _It was Brenden._ The boy was limping towards the Homestead, he couldn't move any faster than a brisk walk. Newt turned, chasing after Alexander.

Alexander ran from the room, every trace of fear trickling out of him as he ran. He had to help his friend. He heard Newt's footsteps close behind him. _No._ He thought. They'd try to stop him, he couldn't be stopped. All the times of Brenden helping him flashed through his mind, helping him his first day at the Gardens, helping him plant seeds, and pick tomatoes. The thoughts fueled Alexander and he ran faster, sprinting out of the Homestead and towards the Griever.


	13. Wicked Ways

**Let it go from Frozen. You're never too old for animated films!**

"She's changing…" one of them murmured to the other. "Only cares for her boy… Who knows if she'll actually send them in," another muttered back. Ava sighed and stepped away from the screen that viewed the gathered scientists. Every one of them doubted her, she'd lost the respect of her fellow colleagues. Watching Alexander get some of his memories back was almost too much. She wished she could go back in time, wished she could stop Janson. Wished she could fire him, but deep down, she knew she couldn't. W.I.C.K.E.D needed his mind.

Ava walked up to the monitors, she was in one of the private labs. She couldn't watch it with the other scientists, not when she knew what they thought of her. She briskly tapped out some commands onto the floating keyboard. The computer powered on, then showed the Glade. All of the boys were huddled into the Homestead. She scanned of of their faces until she located her boy. He was tucked into the back, laying on a bed with one of the test subjects.

Ava frowned, _was it… Newt? Yes. Isaac Newton. Subject A5._ She nodded, and took a step forward. She knew it was time to admit the Grievers. She knew the command, just didn't know if she could do it. She snuck a glance towards the other scientists, they were all shaking their heads. Everyone thought she'd chicken out. She drew a breath, she was a mom. But before that, she was the leader of W.I.C.K.E.D, and a scientist striving for a cure. And with that, she brought her fingers down against the keyboard and struck in the command.

The keyboard blinked away after she'd punched it in, and there was cheering from the other room. Ava felt sick to her stomach, she tried to talk herself off the edge. Telling herself that there were 60+ boys, _what are the chances Alexander would be killed?_ Ava sucked in another breath, she flipped on the volume of the monitor, and a mechanical whirring filled the empty room. She watched the Griever stalk into the Glade.

Ava glanced towards the second monitor that showed the boys. Alexander was pressed up against a window, looking horrified. Ava leaned in towards the screen and saw what horrified her son. There was a boy outside the Homestead, he was limping, relying heavily on his right leg and he hobbled towards the building. The Griever was close behind, closing in on the boy. Ava let out a relieved sigh, Alexander would survive the first night. The Griever were programmed to take out whomever was closest. She reached towards the notepad next to her and began scribbling down notes. In the split second she'd looked away, Alexander had appeared on the second screen, running directly towards the Griever. Ava calmly looked back up, and spotted a small twitch in the corner the the screen. She focused in on in, and to her horror, the monitor revealed that it was Alexander.

Her stomach dropped, and she suddenly felt like throwing up. "No…" She muttered, " _no…_ " she repeated, louder this time. She clung to the sides of the monitor, one of them has to help him. They'd be monsters to not, it was then that it hit her. _She did this. She was a monster._ There was more movement on the screen and Ava looked up to see one of the other boys tackling Alexander to the ground and then clutching him against their chest. Just as the Griever brought its stinger into the limping boy. Alexander screamed and thrashed, trying to escape the arms that held him.

Ava felt relief over take her body, silently thanking the subject that saved him. The Griever swung the boy over itself, carrying him back into the ivy covered Maze. Alexander and the other boy lay curled up in grass, another boy ran out after them claiming he hadn't realized Alexander had ran out, he crouched down beside the two. A sudden anger ignited Ava. _She_ should be holding him. _She_ should be comforting him. Everything she'd been able to hold in exploded out of her. She collapsed to the ground, clutching her knees to her chest like a child. She could still hear Alexander wailing for his friend, and her sobs added to his. If she closed her eyes she could almost feel his presence. But deep down, no matter how much she tried to ignore it, she knew he was crying because of her, because of what she'd done.

All she could hope for now, was for him to get out. For him to survive, she could see him again. Not for long, but she didn't need long. She let out a sigh, trying to pull herself together. She had a conference in a few minutes, where she and the other scientist were to discuss the brain patterns of the Gladers.

She pushed herself off the ground, and walked towards the door. She had to get to her room, she looked a mess. All of the rooms at W.I.C.K.E.D were identical. Bathroom, bed, closet.l nothing special about any of them. She glanced at the numbers on the different doors. _G5, G6, G7, G8._ She stopped at G8 and turned, facing the door. It's sensors recognized her presence, a small metal box erupted out of the door. A small laser point flashed out, it scanned Ava's eye, and then dinged, admitting her access. The door popped open, closing once she'd walked through. She blinked a couple of times as she entered her room.

The women paused, looking at Alexander's small bed in the corner. She walked over brushing her hand over the sheets, then picked up one of his teddy bears. She brought his to her nose and breathed in it's scent. The scent of Alexander. She sighed and set it back down, and then ruffled his pillow. "Soon…" She told herself, "they're almost out of the Maze…" With that she walked into the small squared bathroom. She leaned over the sink, splashing some water onto her face, before puffing it with powder. She washed the powder off her hands and headed for the closet. She pushed open the door revealing her basic everyday uniform. Black pants, navy shirt, lab coat. She slipped off her lab coat and pulled one of the others off the hanger, putting on the new one. She ran her hand over the embroidered W.I.C.K.E.D symbol then nodded before snatching her own notes off the table and walking back towards the viewing room, where the rest of the scientists were seated.

She opened the door and walked in, a long conference table lay in the middle of the room. Everyone was shuffling through their notes, she nodded seeing that everyone was there. Then resisted the urge to scream when she saw Janson's smirking face. _Just get through it,_ she told herself. With that she walked to the head of the table and stared down at the many different faces that looked to her for guidance.

"I think we can all agree that in light of the changes, the data we've gathered and the productivity of the Gladers has been extraordinary." There were a few nods from the crowd, and Ava shuffled through her own notes, pulling out a diagram of an immune person's brain vs one of nonimmune person's brain. She laid them out on the table for people to see. "As you can see, we are beginning to make progress throughout the borders of the main reasons for the Maze Trials."

The scientists nodded their heads again and she sighed softly. They were all so lifeless, following her orders without question, not thinking for themselves. After they found out about the Flare, their life seemed to drain from them, everything that made them human. Now, they were just… robots. It was sickening, and that mixed with Janson's still smirking face, almost made her storm out of the room. But she pursed her lips, waiting to hear their conclusions on the data.

The pictures were being passed around, they all grumbled their responses seeming to not care one way or another. One finally spoke up clearly. "What will we be doing with Alexander and Leah during phase two of the Trials?" Ava looked towards the voice, she recognized one of the scientists from the very beginning. Probably one of the only ones that had continued respect for her. "They, along with a companion of our choosing based on the state of their reaction to the Flare, will be separated from the rest of the group. I have plans for them to be inserted into the experiment in a different way, one that will not include them entering the Scorch with the other Gladers. I will share this plan with the rest of you when I am sure of some minor details. Then, you may do with it what you will." Ava explained in a calm voice, the scientist she was speaking to gave a nod of understanding. The others provided their own reaction towards her statement, until one rang out over the others.

"Because of your boy? Afraid of losing him are you." The scientist spat, a disapproving tone to his voice. Ava looked to him, scanning over his name tag. "Would you truly think so low of me Mr. Wong?" She then tilted her head, addressing the entire table. "Would you all think of me so low that I would put my personal attachment to my boy above the well being of our outgoing experiment?" she said with a shake of her head and a glare toward the man questioning her. His gaze held hers for a few second before drifting away. "No, we wouldn't," he said quietly. Ava gave a brisk nod. "I'd like to view the brain wave's of the younger subjects in different ways than the others." "Why the others then? Why not just Subjects Y1 and Y2?" Someone asked, referring to Alexander and Leah. "We need someone immune and nonimmune in each pair." Ava explained. She gained more nods in response.

"Does anyone else have any matters that must be discussed?" She asked, shuffling her papers once again before standing. She looked around the room, then, gathering that none of her fellow scientist had anything left to speak of, she turned and walked from them, hoping to get as far away as she could. Her heels clipped against the metal floor as she headed back to her room. As always, she paused at G8, and let the laser scan over her eye. It dinged, permitting her access. She walked in, the door closing behind her. She immediately pulled off her lab coat, hanging it in the far end of her closet. And then slipped out of her shoes, before walking to the sink, flipping on the water and letting it run. She was too tired to shower, instead she let her hands fill with water then splashed her face. She quickly wiped it with a nearby towel then walked back to the main room. She swiped Alexander's bear off his bed, and continued to walk to hers.

She pulled back the covers and laid down. Ava then pulled the covers back over herself, and then hugged the bear to her chest, lowering her chin to breath in its clean scent. The comforting smell helped her drift into a deep sleep where she dreamed of Alexander sleeping across from her in his own bed, as things use to be.


	14. I Love You

**Hymn for the Weekend by Coldplay is today's song.**

Alexander awoke slowly, he found himself tucked into bed next to Newt, the boy's arm wrapped tightly around him. He blinked a few times, confused; but then the events from yesterday flashed through his head, and he felt as if he was about to throw up. He rolled over and nudged Newt. The blonde boy squeezed his eyes tighter together for a second, then opened them. His tired eyes meeting Alexander's teary ones.

Newt sighed. "How you doin'?" He asked lightly. Alexander shook his head, "I feel… empty," the boy admitted, and Newt frowned. He threw his legs over the bed and stood up. He then turned back to Alexander and offered the boy a hand. Alexander reached forward and took it, clasping his hand around the older boys. Newt and him walked towards the door, both had unknowingly slept in their shoes, and still wore their clothes from yesterday. Alexander looked up at his friend, "where are we going?" Next glanced down at him. "The kitchen." He said simply. "But why?" Alexander questioned as Newt pushed open the Homestead door. Then glanced up at sky, noting that it was still grey.

"I'd love to give you today off, with recent events and all. But, you get lazy, you get sad. Start givin' up. And we can't have you, or anyone else givin' up on us." Newt stopped once they were at the kitchen and crouched down, looking Alexander in the eye. "Find me when you're done at the kitchen. Xander, it's gonna be okay," he finished, stressing his last words, while sounding genuine. Alexander nodded. He then stepped forward, wrapping his arms around Newt and burying his face into the blonde boy's shirt. "Do I have to work at the gardens?" He asked slowly, fearing what Newt might say. The the boy shook his head. "No, of course not. I'll find something else for you to do." Alexander pulled back. "Thank you," he said quietly. Newt nodded and then pulled open the door for the kitchen, holding it open for Alexander. After the boy walked through, he dropped it shut and headed for the gardens.

Alexander looked around the kitchens, frowning for a moment before remembering that they wouldn't need as many people now. He walked over and washed his hands. Once he was done he looked to Frypan, who gestured towards the fridge. "Can you grab some apples from the top shelf and bring them to me?" Alexander nodded, opening the fridge and standing on his tippy toes to reach the fruit. He walked it over to the cook, letting the fridge door close behind him and setting the fruit down next to Frypan. "Now, can you go get the eggs? They're on the middle shelf." He asked lightly. Alexander nodded once again, jogging over and grabbing a carton. He set them next to the apples, waiting for another task.

Frypan smiled at him, motioning to the sink. "You can help Travis with the orange juice, then with cutting up the apples." He and Travis nodded, walking over to the sink and sighing softly. Alexander dragged over the stool again, kneeling on it and getting out the cups while Travis grabbed the orange juice. He set about twenty cups up, waiting until the Glader had filled five before walking them to the ledge. He kept with that system, placing cups , then taking some to the ledge.

After they finished that, Travis grabbed two cutting boards from a cupboard, placing them next to the sink before grabbing the apples and bringing them over. He put a bag by Alexander, taking the other one for himself. They got started, cutting the core out before cutting up the rest of the apple. Travis walked over to the trash, throwing the apple cores away before looking over to Frypan. The cook had about ten plates done, and Travis brought them over. They put five apple slices each, on a plate, Alexander running them to the ledge. Hungry Gladers began coming immediately, and Frypan walked over to help Travis and Alexander plate the food. Once they were done and all the Gladers were fed, Travis and Alexander made their own plates, Frypan following.

"Hey, Alec?" Frypan said softly. "Yeah?" Alexander glanced up towards the cook, confused. "Are you okay?" Alexander nodded, "I think I just want to eat by myself today." Frypan nodded, "Yeah, yeah. I get it," he said. Alexander smiled softly. "Thanks," he said quietly. Frypan clapped him on the back, he felt for the boy. He too would miss Brenden, but Alexander was young. He watched as the boy made a beeline towards a tree near the back of the Glade, before turning and going back to his own food.

Alexander settled down under the tree, he leaned back against the rough bark, closing his eyes and sighing. He wished he'd spent more time with Brenden, wished he'd worked at the Gardens more… He shook his head, thinking like that would get him nowhere. Forcing his eyes open as he did so, he picked up his food and pushed the fork underneath the eggs, shoveling some out and into his mouth. Alexander then grimaced, eggs had never been his favorite. But frypan would be offended if he brought the plate back untouched.

He forced down a few more bites, quickly finishing the small meal. He then brought the bits of apple to his mouth, chewing them slowly, his mind wandering as he ate. Thinking of his telepathy, he'd had the thought earlier, but was just now returning to it. A question that he couldn't bring himself to ask the other Gladers, _could he talk to him mom?_ He could when he was at the compound, _why couldn't he now?_ Alexander had resisted the impulse to try, afraid he'd mess up and send the thought to a different Glader. He set his plate aside, sitting up. _Okay,_ he thought to himself. _You can do this._ And then, with a reassuring nod to himself, he tried. Hoping desperately for a reply.

" _I love you."_ He thought, and then pictured the words he wished to send. Just as he did when trying to talk to Newt, or Minho, he pictured the letter flying. But instead of simply flying to the person, as he normally did, he pictured these words leaving the Glade, and flying onward towards W.I.C.K.E.D compounds. Once entering the compounds, the words flew directly to his mother. They landed on her head, as if she were wearing a hat, and then diminished, popping out of existence.

He sucked in a hopeful breath. _Please…_ He muttered to himself, as he thought once again about how much he wanted a reply. She could talk to him in the compound, she was the only person that could reply to him. Yes, he had the ability to speak in the minds of many, but many did not have the ability to speak back to him. But she did, which was why it hurt so much when he was given no reply.

Alexander shook his head, he was so stupid. Why would she reply if she'd sent him to a place like this? Not wanting to think about anything else Alexander, once again, rested his head back against the tree, attempting to clear his mind of everything that'd happened the last few days. But soon, he felt someone, two someone's actually, plop down on either side of him. He glanced over to his right, and then his left, revealing Thomas and Minho. Both looking towards him, while slouched back against the tree.

Minho smiled softly at the boy. Remembering the events from the night before. "Feelin' any better?" He asked, knowing as soon as it left his mouth, how stupid of a question it was. Neither him, or Thomas had known Brenden that well. For Minho, it was that they never crossed paths, with him being a runner, and gone all the time. As for Thomas it was that he'd been there such a short amount of time, he knew very few people as it was. But regardless, Alexander nodded, "I'm feeling a bit better." He then blinked, _shouldn't Thomas and Minho be in the Maze?_ Both boys shared a look, they had no idea how to tell Alexander.

Minho was the one to start. "Listen Alec," he said, turning a bit so he was facing the boy. "Me and Thomas are about to go out into the Maze, but-" "we're gonna be gone a bit longer than usual." Thomas finished for him, earning a glare from the runner himself. Alexander hesitated, "what do you mean?" He asked, his voice getting higher with every word, his fright beginning to show. Minho put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "We're gonna be out in the Maze longer than usual, we won't be back tonight." He explained. They both watched the young boy process the news, and he surprised his with his calm response.

"That's okay," he said. "Just please come back, I don't want the monsters to get you…" He said quietly, before leaning to both of his sides, and wrapping his arms around the both of them. He squeezed his eyes shut as the images from the night before appeared in front of his eyes.

Both boys hugged him back. "We will," they said in Union. Alexander nodded, holding on for a moment longer before letting go. They both stood up, adjusting their backpacks a bit, before running towards the Maze. Alexander watched them run off, and then watched them disappear into the Maze. It was going to be horrible sleeping in the room without Minho, but with the doors not closing, there would be other Gladers now. Like Newt, and Alby, and the rest of his friends. He would be okay, just like Minho and Thomas would. They were strong… And fast. They could survive, he knew they could.


	15. The Beginning of the End

**Monsters by Ruelle. Go Shadowhunters!**

Chuck walked from the Homestead; he scanned the Glade, wondering where Alexander had gone. _Too tall… Too tall…_ he thought looking to the many different silhouettes off in the distance. He finally looked to the tree he often hung out at, a boy sat underneath, and he looked to be around Alexander's height. Chuck started towards the tree. Once there, he gave the boy a small smile and settled next to him. "Hey," he said. "I heard about Thomas and Minho in the Maze, don't worry about them. They'll be back," he reassured, earning a nod from Alexander.

"So whatcha wanna do?" Chuck asked. Alexander looked over at his friend, he was tired of sitting around and moping about everything going on, he knew it would do nothing. "Wanna play catch?" He asked bluntly, remembering the previous time they'd played, and how fun that was. Chuck nodded and gestured towards the area behind the Homestead. "You get the ball and I'll meet you over there," he said, standing and walking in the direction he'd pointed. Alexander got his feet under him and pushed himself up, jogging after Chuck and walking with him until they were next to the Homestead. He headed up the stairs to Minho and his room. He snatched the ball from the shelf and then headed back down the steps and outside. ' _I got the ball,'_ the boy thought towards Chuck, as the pudgy boy came into view.

Once he was close enough he took a step forward, throwing the ball towards his friend. Chuck raised his hand, the ball collided with it and he curled his fingers around it. He then reversed the motion, chucking it towards Alexander, though overthrowing a bit. Alexander jumped, trying to catch it. The stitched ball skimmed his fingertips, flying over his head and landing behind him. He jokingly glared at Chuck before jogging after the ball. He knelt down and grabbed the ball and then turned, stepping into the throw, trying to get the ball to the boy from distance he was away from him.

The throw landed a bit short, so as Alexander ran forward to his usual position, Chuck crouched down and let the ball roll into his hands. He hesitated a few seconds, wanting to catch his friend off guard, and then quickly stood up, snapping his arm forward. The ball flew through the air, traveling at a high speed towards Alexander. The young boy moved his hands away from his sides, and then stepped forward, walking into the ball as he caught it. He smirked at Chuck, ' _you must've played baseball before the Glade,'_ he thought to his friend, throwing the ball higher than before, attempting to perfect his throw.

Chuck stepped under it, catching it successfully, before pausing and looking at the ball happily. He liked the thought of being a baseball player, maybe Alexander was right. He did find himself familiar with the the ball and how how the game was played. Chuck tossed it straight up, then snatched it out of the air. "I think I was!" He called out to Alexander, and then as if proving his point to the boy, he chucked the ball forward, it flew perfectly straight and the hit his target. Alexander's hand.

Alexander smiled, his hand stung a bit from the ball but he ignored the stinging and threw it back. They continued to throw the ball back and forth, both boys happier than they'd been in a while. Chuck found himself daydreaming about being a baseball player. ' _And pitching this inning for the Gladers, is Chuck. Though an intermediate player, Chuck has thrown in the winning pitch for over four games so far this season. We look forward to his performance today._ The loudspeaker boomed as Chuck imagined himself walking out onto the field, looking around at his team. His fellow Gladers posed as teammates, those he disliked made up the opposite team. He took his place on the pitcher's mound and looked forward to the batter. ' _And batting first, for the shanks, is Gally… His record has been one of the worst this season. Not sure how he'll hold up against Chuck's wicked curve ba-'_

"Aye Chuck! The sloppers need you!" Alby said as he approached, pulling Chuck from his daydream. Chuck caught the ball Alexander threw, and pitched it back before waving at at Alexander and running towards a gathering of boys near the edge of the forest. Alexander looked over to Alby, surprised. Alby shot a small smile at the boy and gestured for Alexander to follow him. He lead the boy around the Homestead then up the stairs to his room. He settled on his bed and Alexander also climbed up, leaning against the headboard.

"Newt told me that he'd seen your vision, that you'd shown him. I was wondering if you could show me. I need to know anything that could help us escape, and your vision might," he explained, looking hopefully to the boy. Alexander rolled the baseball around in his hands, feeling a bit nervous about showing Alby but regardless he found himself nodding. "The first memory I had was of my mom talking about the Maze. Are you ready?" Alexander asked while he prepared to transfer the memory. Alby nodded and a second later, a colorful picture appeared behind his eyes. He sucked in a surprised breath as he watched the events unfold.

The memory was as expected, he been briefed on the basic ongoings. But seeing it first hand was different. He continued to watch, soaking in all of the information, knowing he might need it later. The flashback ended abruptly and Alby opened his eyes to find his vision blurred. He blinked a few times then nodded to Alexander for the next one.

Alexander had to focus hard, transferring the memories was much harder than the rest of his abilities. He continued through them, ignoring the stabbing pain in his head. _Only one more,_ he thought to himself after transferring the others. He then reeled off his most recent memory. ' _Come on honey, we've got to-'_ He thought through the last bit, and let out the breath he'd been holding. Alexander's head was killing him, he squeezed his eyes shut, hoping to diminish the pain. Alby placed a hand on his shoulder, noticing his distress. Alexander shook his head and answered Alby's unasked question. "I'm fine," he then opened his eyes to see disbelief written on Alby's face. "Go to the Med-jacks," Alby said. "They might be able to help," he said while standing up.

The older boy turned picking Alexander up from underneath his arms, lifting him off the bed, then placing him on the floor. He then gestured towards the door. After the young boy ran out, Alby settled by the makeshift block of wood he referred to as a 'desk'. He began scribbling down the memories Alexander had sent to him, he could no longer ensure anyone's safety. He'd die for Alexander, but he would've died for Brenden too. He knew he couldn't save everyone, so he had to make sure he had what he needed. He finished writing down everything Alexander told him, combined with the little he already knew, and studied it. Thinking and hoping for an escape.

Meanwhile, Alexander rapped against the Med-jacks door. The door flew open from the inside and Jeff smiled at him. "Hey Alec, what's up?" Alexander looked behind Jeff and into the room, he'd never been in that part on the Homestead before, but the pulsing pain in his head reminded him of why he was there. "My head hurts," he said, Jeff immediately pulled him inside. "Clint!" he called out. "We got a headache!" Clint, who'd been off in an attached room stuck his head in, and then smiled at Alexander. "Can you get some of the herbs from the Gardeners?" Jeff nodded and headed for the door, he then turned remembering Alexander's presence. He gestured towards one of the tables. "Go ahead and lie down," Jeff said before walking from the room and towards the Gardens.

He paused once there, looking over the many workers, once spotting the one he was looking for, he smiled. "Hey Zart," he said lightly. "We got a headache, you got what I need?" He asked, knowing the gardener knew the recipe. Zart smirked. "Always do," he said gruffly, handing off his hoe to one of the other Gardeners then walking off toward a few small plants at the corner of the Gardens. He knelt down and picked a few limbs off the stem and passed them to Jeff. "Who's headache?" He asked. "Alexander, he came in few minutes ago," Jeff said, looking over the herbs. Newt's head unconsciously snapped up at Alexander's name. "What about Xander?" He asked, throwing down the weed he'd pulled and walking over to the boys. "His head hurts," Jeff explained briefly. Newt nodded, "I'll get the milk for you." He clapped Jeff on the back, and then jogged towards the kitchens. "Meet you at the Homestead!" Jeff yelled after him.

Newt strode into the kitchen, he knew Frypan wouldn't mind. The blonde pulled open the fridge, and looks around a bit before finding the milk. He pulled it out, And then located a glass, before pouring a bit and then put the milk back in its place. He close the fridge door with his shoulder, and then headed out of the kitchen. He headed back towards the Homestead, where Jeff was waiting outside. The two walked up the steps and into the room together. Alexander's face broke out into a smile when he saw Newt. Newt smiled back, passing the cup of milk to Clint and then walking over to Alexander.

"When did your head start hurting?" He questioned. "After I transferred some memories to Alby." Newt nodded, he'd figured it'd be something like that. "You should be careful with your telepathy. No more for the rest of today. Got it?" Newt said, suddenly sounding very stern. Alexander frowned. "Fine," he grumbled. Newt smiled, he touched Alexander shoulder for a second. "I gotta get back to gardens," he said, right before sending a quick wave towards the medics and walking from the makeshift hospital.

Clint stirred the herbs together then passed the cup to Alexander. "Tastes like klunk, but works like a charm," he said, repeating the phrase he'd said many times before. Alexander looked to the floating green bits in the strange liquid hesitantly, but then brought it to his lip and took a sip. He gagged, "I- my head feels much better." Alexander said trying to shove the cup back into the medic hands. Clint crossed his arms. "Down it," he said, "every drop." Alexander groaned before throwing his head back and gulping down the drink as quick as he could.

"There!" he cried, jumping down from the table. "Now," Clint said, "go to bed, doctor's orders." Alexander's face fell. "Why?" Jeff stepped forward. "Normal headaches are normal headaches, but yours obviously came from telepathy, and you're young. You shouldn't be getting headaches this bad at your age." "But it's still early!" Alexander protested. Jeff rolled his eyes. "We're only a few hours away from dinner, it's not early," he said, not budging away from his order. Alexander frowned as he realized he missed lunch, but then nodded.

Clint pushed open the door for him, and Alexander walked grudgingly to his room. He pulled back the covers and leaned back against his headboard while slipping off his shoes. He then climbed into his small bed, leaning forward and grabbing the covers, covering himself as he alway did. To his surprise, he fell asleep without hesitation.

Newt looked around the room as he had previously, he'd already gathered all of the Gladers into the Homestead. After eating, him and Alby had insisted they go early. He touched Alby's arm, remembering Alexander. "I'm gonna go get Xander," he said, earning a nod from his friend. Newt pushed his way through the boys, muttering apologies all the way through. He leaned against the already open door with his shoulder, pushing it open. He took a few steps through the hallway and then walked passed the open door, and into Minho's room.

He paused for a second, looking at Alexander's sleeping figure. He looked so peaceful, Newt felt bad for moving him. He shook his head and swiped the blankets off the boy, and then transferred Alexander weight from the bed, to his arms. One underneath the crook beneath Alexander's knees, the other supported the boy's back. He truly weighed almost nothing, like a pile of feathers.

Alexander yawned, waking slightly from the movement. He found himself cradled in someone's arms, and tilted his head a bit to see Newt. The blonde smiled. "Taking a nap?" he questioned, while balancing on his foot to close the door. Alexander made a face. "They made me…" He muttered, causing Newt to chuckle, "Still tired?" Alexander nodded slowly, his eyelids drooping. Newt smiled once again. "I just wanted to get you in the other room, no point in you being awake now," he said while setting Alexander down on his bed, and then shifted the boy a bit so he'd be under the covers. "Go to sleep," he whispered, before hushing the rest of the room.

Alexander rolled over so he was facing away from the rest of the commotion. He closed his eyes, somehow he knew the turn out of the night would be death. He didn't want to be awake to see it. He just had to trust that his friends would live, as would he. Before falling asleep he thought of his other friends, the ones running the Maze. Disregarding Newt's request to his telepathy from early, he thought up a quick message and sent it to them. ' _Goodnight, be careful,'_ he thought out before drifting off into sleep.

Minho tripped, still not used to hearing voices, and then smiled. Of course, _he_ was worried about _them_. Minho nudged Thomas's shoulder, and as if Alexander's message was a cue for them to stop, he slowed. "Alexander says to be careful. And goodnight." Thomas grinned, just as Minho sucked in a big breath, leaning against the ivy strewn wall. "Okay," he said, checking his watch. "Another few hours of running, and we'll see how we feel then. You good?" He asked, knowing Thomas was still fairly new. Thomas nodded. "I'm good," he said, gulping down some water. They both rested for a few more minutes before breaking out into a run, restlessly searching for a way out.

As they ran, Newt and Alby stood by the window, watching the empty Glade. They knew the Grievers would come, Newt almost felt bad for wishing they'd just get it over with. But he immediately took back his wish when the eerie noises filled the Glade. ' _Whirr… Click click… Whirr…'_

It paid no regard to their horror, the terrifying noise continued to hit the walls in the Glade and then bounce back with an echo ringing out every time the Griever moved. Newt backed away from the window and ran over to Alexander, the boy was awake once again. He reached out to Newt, fear present in his eyes. Newt swiped him off the bed, clutching him in his arms for the second time that night. He knew he had to be close to the boy in case the Griever broke through the Homestead, in case they had to run.

The Gladers in the room all looked to Alby, he still stood by the window, the grey skies illuminating his face. He turned, and then in a hushed voice, he began whispering. "Everyone scatter. Hide, now." And with that everyone ran from the room, some even out of the Homestead and headed for other buildings. Others split into different rooms, somebody told the other room of Gladers, and within seconds they'd also streamed out of the cramped room. Most Gladers felt a white hot fear in the pits of their stomachs, the Grievers terrified them. They'd only ever heard horror stories of the mechanical creatures.

Newt escaped with Alexander just as the board burst open, he turned, watching the hideous, deformed Griever creep forward into the Homestead. His eyes widened and he felt Alexander's grip tighten. Newt ran out of the Homestead, he'd lost sight of Alby in the mix and he could only hope for the boy's safety. Newt hesitated outside and then ran towards the Slammer, decided it would be their best bet. He reached for the door and yanked on it. Nothing. He tried once again and it flew open from the inside. Alby stood in front of him, he ushered the two of them in and then reached around the bars, locking it once again.

Newt set Alexander down and then sunk to the floor. His ankle aching, Alby didn't have to turn to know it was hurting him. "How bad?" He asked. "It kills," Newt muttered. Alexander bit his lip, staring off into the distance towards the Grievers silhouette. "Are we gonna be okay?" He asked quietly. Newt nodded, gesturing for the boy to sit by him. He wrapped his arm around him. "Yes. I promise, we'll be okay." He said quietly

 _Whirr… Click click… Whirr…_ Alexander's eyes widened, knowing the Griever was outside the Slammer. He gasped, clutching Newt's shirt and burying his face into it. Alby walked over, crouching down protectively in front of Alexander. Him and Newt locked eyes, and in unison looked toward the teary eyed boy. They both nodded, silently agreeing on unspoken words. Alexander would live, even if they couldn't, he was the first priority.

Alexander peeked out from Newt shirt, just to see the Grievers claw reach forward, and latch onto the Slammer doors…..


	16. The Next Night

**If Today Was Your Last Day by Nickelback.**

Newt leapt up, he pushed Alexander towards the back of the cell, and then seized a handful of Alby's shirt, yanking him back as well. Alby tripped a bit, but regained his balance, turning towards Newt. "We're gonna have to run past it." He said in a rushed voice. "It's gonna break through any minute now." Newt nodded, and then reached towards Alexander. But Alby shook his head, "I take him." Newt drew a breath, not liking being separated from the boy. "Listen," their leader started, trying to reason with his friend. "Your ankle is too bad, I'll be faster carrying him than you." The blonde hesitated once again, but then nodded.

Alexander ran towards Alby, his arms open. Alby swooped him up, clutching the boy tightly. They both turned towards the rattling door, Newt prepared himself to run. "Where are we going?" He asked Alby, not taking his eyes off the Griever. Alby shook his head, "no idea…" He muttered. "But we gotta stay to together, we have a better chance of fighting it off together. Newt shook his head, remembering when he'd been a runner. "We have no chance of fighting it off…" He said.

Alby ignored the comment. He walked closer to the Slammer door, and then nodded for Newt to do the same. "You sprint from the right, I'll go from the left." He said. Newt gave no reply, but started counting. "1…. 2…. 3…." After rattling off the numbers, he reached forward, ripping the remainder of the door off. Him and Alby bolted from their separate sides, only to curve back in once past the Griever.

Alexander had his eyes squeezed shut, he could hear Alby's labored breathing against his ear. The boy tightened his grip, he'd never been more afraid in his life. He couldn't clear his head, he could just think of the Monsters. How they wanted to tear him apart, hurt him, and take him away from his friends. Alexander tore his eyes open, and then watched as The Griever quickly gained ground, he wanted to warn Alby, but found himself frozen. His entire body quivering, and eyes unblinking.

Newt glanced behind him, seeing what Alexander already saw. _Think…_ He told himself, they were goners if someone doesn't come up with a game plan in the next minute. He thought back once again to when he was a runner, racking his mind for anything that could help him. Newt gasped, "Alby!" He said, having to scream to be heard over the Griever's mechanical whirring. "The Map Room!" He cried, his throat hoarse.

Realization dawned across Alby's face, he'd thought their best chance was the Slammer, but he was wrong. The Map Room was. With his new information, Alby made a sharp turn. He tightened his grip on Alexander, and then used his free hand to yank Newt along with him. Whenever they changed their course, the Griever would do the same. They just had to stay a step ahead. They knew where to go, the Griever didn't. Alby latched on to the new spark of hope, and managed to lengthen his stride. His pace began to quicken, and with his, so did Newt's.

Soon they could see the Map Room. Alby's legs burned like fire, but he never slowed. Within seconds he'd crossed the threshold, he halted to a stop once inside the building. He waited for Newt to run through before slamming the door shut. Alexander was unleashed from his arms, but Alby didn't let the boy go far. "Under the table, now." He barked. Newt had started to shove dusty crates in front of the door. Bracing it for the impact of the Griever.

Alby took a step back and then tugged a box away from the wall opposite to him. He leaned forward on it, pressing it to the door. They continued to build it up until there were no crates left. Newt collapsed against a wall, massaging his ankle. Alby sat next to him, and then motioned for Alexander to come out from the table. The boy walked out from under it, and fit himself between Newt and Alby.

The only noises that could be heard were from the Griever. Loud clapping sounds echoed around the small hut-like building as the monster threw itself at the walls. ' _Whir… whir… Whiiiiirrrr…'_ Alexander leaned forward a bit in anticipation. But the noises silenced. Newt let out a sigh of relief, he rested his head in his hands. The stress was finally beginning to diminish, Alexander would be okay. They'd be okay. His only worries were of whomever _would_ face the wrath of the Griever. Because not everyone was getting out of this alive. Not everyone would be as lucky as them. Alby rested his head back against the wall, the same thought traveling through his own head. Once he knew they were in the clear his eyelids began to droop. "Try and get some sleep," he said quietly. "No point in us being awake."

Newt nodded, putting his arm once again around Alexander. Hoping to console the boy, Newt knew this night would appear again in his nightmares. The boy settled into his arm, he sucked in a shaky breath trying to calm himself. It still terrified him, regardless of them being safe. Someone would die, someone in place of Alexander. He tried to not think about it, tried to sleep. And with one more deep breath, he was able to.

While the three boys fell into a slumber…. Samuel was crouched beneath one of the tables behind the kitchen. Frypan was right next to him, the cook had pressed himself against the building. His eyes mirrored the fear written in Samuel's. The dark haired boy squeezed his eyes shut, the mechanical whir of the Griever could still be heard off in the distance. Samuel wasn't a Runner, he'd never been into the Maze. He didn't know how to handle Grievers, he'd only been in the Glade for a few months. And for god's sake he was a Slopper!

The whirring grew louder, it sounded like nails on a chalk board. A repetitive scratching that made him quiver. With every second the whirring grew louder and closer. He felt a brush against his shoulder, and looked to the boy next to him. It was then that Frypan saw how scared the boy looked. Not that he wasn't, but he was out of his habitat. There was no way cooking would get him out of this, he could only wish to be in his kitchen feeding all the Gladers. Without him they'd all starve. Most couldn't pour a glass of water without spilling it. He almost smiled at the thought, but his situation dawned back on him, and he gestured for Samuel to follow him.

The slipped out from under the table and crept around the corner. The Griever was oblivious to their presence as it strode around the building, only a few feet away from the boys that hid from it. Frypan reached for the door handle, hoping to take cover in the kitchen. He jiggled the handle, finding it locked. "Dammit James…" He muttered to himself, cursing the boy for locking it as he pulled out his key. He plunged it into the handle and swiveled it around. The click rang out, and he pulled the key from the brass handle. He turned to rush Samuel inside, but instead of turning to face a boy eager for escape, he turned to face a terrified one.

Samuel was wide eyed, face to face with a Griever. Its deformed figure was towering over his own. The flesh of the creature looked to be gurgling and popping as if bacon in a pan. Before Frypan could move, before he could even think, its spider like claw raised up from its body. It then started towards the quivering boy. Its sharp instruments dug into him, piercing his skin and cutting deeper into his flesh.

Samuel felt a burning pain in his leg, but was afraid to look down and see it. He feared that would make it real, and he refused to believe that this wasn't a dream. _It has to be a dream._ He told himself struggling to think positively. Suddenly his legs were pulled from under him and he was dangling by a claw as if the Griever was mad the boy could think such silly things. It swung him around and over its own body. He felt its gurgling flesh under him, bubbling and popping. Sucking him in, and making sure of no escape. Then the realization hit him, _he was gonna die._ He was gonna die in a way he'd wish on no-one. What he did wish, was a for it all to be a dream. Or a death to be content with. A way he could accept dying. But though there was no escape, he couldn't accept this. Samuel let out a scream, one of his last attempts at rebellion before the stinger plunged into him.

Frypan was snapped into reality by the dive of the stinger. "Sam!" He cried, his voice gain volume. He made a grab from the boy's wrist, the Griever whipped out one of its weapons and stepped towards Frypan as if threatening to jab him with it. The cook jumped back, he looked back to his friend. "I'm sorry….." he whispered. Samuel shook his head, the last thing he did before disappearing into the maze.


	17. The Griever Hole

**Youth by Troye Sivan.**

Alexander shivered after waking up. He reached for his blanket, but his hands grabbed at empty air, leaving him chilled. He rubbed his eyes and then pried them open, looking to Newt and Alby. The older boys were moving the crates away from the doors. They shoved them up against the walls, creating an entrance. Newt was the first to notice Alexander's awaking. He gave the boy a small smile. "Mornin' Xander," he said lightly. Alby glanced over and nodded at the boy before pulling his gaze back to the crates.

Their leader was stressed. _Who had it been? Who bit the dust when they didn't?_ he thought. He had to get out there, figure out what had gone down, and what he was gonna be able to do about it. He also wanted his Runners back. If they hadn't found anything yet, they weren't about to. He shook his head, helping Newt shove back the last box.

Alby leaned forward, pushing back the heavy door. Alexander jumped up and hurried towards Newt, walking out with the boy. "Alexander," he said quickly, before the boy could walk off. He turned, looking towards Alby. "You go on ahead. I'll be there in a second." Alby nodded, walking off to assess the damage from last night. Newt turned back to Alexander, crouching down in front of him. "Are you okay?" The boy nodded, smiling weakly. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm just worried." Newt nodded. "We all are. Speaking of, do you think you could send Minho a message and tell him that we're okay?"

Alexander nodded, screwing his face up for a moment and thinking hard. He imagined the words flying over their heads, over into the depths of the Maze and straight into Minho's head. ' _Newt, Alby and I are okay. We don't know who was taken yet. I miss you.'_ He nodded his head to Newt, showing it'd been sent. He walked with Newt to the Homestead where Alby was talking with one of the Gladers. When he saw them he nodded to the other boy, walking over.

"Samuel was taken, Frypan saw it." Newt nodded, sighing softly as he remembered the boy. Alexander bit his lip, furrowing his eyebrows. _Did he know a Samuel? He didn't think he did…_ He felt bad about the rush of relief that flooded through him, but none of his friends were taken and he couldn't help being happy about that. "Xander?" He looked up at his name. It was Newt. "Why don't you go find Chuck and play with him? Don't worry about working today." Alexander nodded, jogging off to find his friend.

He looked in the Gardens and under the trees, but Chuck was no-where to be seen. He was just about to go check the Homestead when he heard his name being called again. "Alexander! Hey, Alexander!" His eyes snapped up to find his friend jogging over to him, waving his hand. The boy waved back, smiling slightly. Chuck was fine. "So… did you hear who it was?" Alexander nodded. "His name was Samuel. I didn't know him. But I don't want to talk about that." Chuck nodded. "So, what do you want to do today?"

Alexander bit his lip, shrugging his shoulders. "Maybe we can play catch again?" Chuck shook his head. "Nah… Maybe a race?" Alexander nodded his head. "Yeah! I'll beat you to the Homestead!" He cried, and with that he took off, running as fast as he could. He raced past the Gardens and the Kitchens, waving towards Travis on his way. He looked behind him and saw that Chuck was right there. He laughed, running faster.

"Woah woah woah!" He stopped in his tracks, looking to Newt who had his hands up. "What're you runnin' for?" "Chuck and I are racing!" Alexander shouted excitedly. Newt grinned, shaking his head slightly. "Well, off you go!" Alexander smiled, dashing off again with Chuck hot on his heels. They raced the rest of the way to the Homestead, Alexander winning by a fraction of a second.

"Ha! I beat you!" Alexander said, pumping his fist in the air. Chuck stuck his tongue out, but smiled none the less. Alexander was about to suggest they play something else when movement by the door caught his eye. He turned, squinting to see what was going on. Chuck turned as well, grinning. "They're back!" he said. Alexander frowned, _who was back?_ Then it dawned on him. _Thomas and Minho_. He started running, and didn't stop until he reached them.

He collided with Minho first, wrapping his arms around his waist. "Oof!" The Runner wrapped his arms around Alexander as well, smiling slightly. "Did ya miss me?" he asked. Alexander nodded, looking up at him. "I was worried." Minho shook his head. "I told you we'd be back, safe and sound. And here we are," he said, motioning from himself to Thomas. Alexander grinned, squeezing tighter before letting go and latching on to Thomas.

Thomas hugged him back, grinning. "Hey kiddo. You okay?" Alexander nodded, letting go and grabbing their hands. "Come on! Let's go see Newt!" Thomas laughed lightly. "Okay. We've got news for them anyways." "Yeah. Then I'm gonna sleep for another few years. I'm shuckin' tired." Minho muttered, Thomas nodding his head in agreement.

They let themselves be dragged across the Glade, through the Gardens and straight to Newt. As soon as the blonde saw them he dropped the shovel he had, walking over and giving Minho and Thomas both a one-armed hug. "You guys are okay? No injuries?" Minho nodded. "Tired as shuck, but we're fine." Newt sighed, looking at them expectantly. "Well? Find anything?" Thomas nodded. "Yeah, but we should wait till Alby's here too," he said, scanning the Glade in search of their leader.

Newt nodded his head, leading them to the Homestead and up the stairs to Alby's room. Alexander and Chuck hurried off to have another race. After they ran off, Newt knocked on the door softly, opening it when Alby replied. "Hey, Minho and Thomas are back. An' they found somethin'." Alby turned, nodding his head and motioning for them to sit down. "So?" he asked once they were all situated, "What'd you find?" Minho looked to Thomas before nodding, propelling the brunette to start talking. "We think it's a way out, there's a cliff in the Maze and when we threw rocks out, they disappeared, but only in one spot. We think we could build a bridge across, see what's going on down there. The only problem is, that's where the Grievers go."

Alby sighed. "I figured there'd be a 'but'. What'll we do when we get there? If it's a dead end, it'll be a slaughter." Minho sighed. "I don't know. But it's the biggest lead we've had since we first got here. We can't just let it go." Alby nodded. "I know. We'll figure it out."

It was dinner time when the boys had left the Homestead, Alexander waved to Chuck and wandered back over to his friends. His stomach had started to growl as he approached. Minho raised an eyebrow. "You hungry?" Alexander flushed, nodding his head. "I missed lunch." Minho nodded his head, and they all walked to the Kitchens. Frypan already had a few plates out, and Alby, Newt, and Thomas went up to get them while Minho and Alexander grabbed a table. They sat and waited for the others to get back with the food, Minho asking Alexander how his day had been. "Chuck and I had a race today, I won!" he exclaimed proudly. Minho nodded tiredly. "I bet you're almost as fast as me," he said. Alexander giggled. "I bet I'm _faster_." "Oh really? Well I guess we'll have to settle that after dinner then." Alexander nodded, smiling as the boys got back with the food. Mashed potatoes, gravy, and corn was on the menu.

They ate in relative silence, Minho and Alexander taking care of the dishes before Alexander grinned smugly. "From the trees to the Homestead. Okay?" Minho nodded, biting his lip as they walked over. Newt, Alby, and Thomas went to wait by the Homestead, ready to judge the winner. "Ready… Set… Go!" Alexander shouted, taking off. Minho slowed himself a bit, staying next to Alexander the entire time, until near the end where he dropped his speed a tad bit more, wanting his young friend to win, even though he knew he'd be forced to face Thomas's teasing. Alexander made it to the Homestead first, turning around and sticking his tongue out at Minho, who was right behind him. "You beat me! I can't believe you beat me!" the Runner shouted, making Alexander laugh. They made their way into the Homestead, where Minho and Thomas split off to sleep.

A couple hours later, Alexander found himself in the large room in the bottom floor of the Homestead. Next to him was Thomas, and on his other side was Newt. He felt safer between his friends, but still felt a growing queasiness rooted in his stomach. It was being fueled from his anticipation and fear for what would soon come. He raised his chin, looking towards the blonde boy. His hair was ruffled and despite not sleeping, or looking anywhere near sleep, he was covered by a cotton blanket lazily thrown over him.

Newt felt the gaze on him and tilted his head, looking down to Alexander. He smiled weakly, wishing he could put on a brave face for the boy. But he found himself as scared as his younger friend. They'd escaped once, what were the chances of them doing it again? And even if they do, someone else dies in their place, just like Samuel had. The Grievers were relentless, they'd never stop looking. He shook away the thought, drawing his attention back to Alexander.

"Do you want a blanket?" he questioned, only gaining a shake of his head in response. Newt frowned. "You okay?" he asked, knowing the boy wasn't. Alexander voice came out small and weary. "I'm scared," he whispered. Newt wished for something to say, he wished he could say something to take away his fear. But he couldn't. All he could say was, "it'll be over soon." Alexander knew Newt had nothing left to say, so in his own reply he reached forward and gripped Newt's hand, and then reached to his left, securing his other around Thomas's. The blonde boy smiled, a little bit more to the grin this time. "Soon," he repeated.

Thomas let out a heavy breath, drawing both Newt's and Alexander's attention towards himself. He gave a nod at Newt's previous words. "Soon…" he muttered, looking distant. Newt's eyebrows knitted together as he watched Thomas, clearly worried for his friend. He began to question him when a sharp scratching filled the room. It sounded far away, as if it were on a different floor, but they all knew the truth. The scary, horrifying truth. The Griever was right outside their door.

The scratching was soon placed by a crunching rip. The ripping of wood, the ripping of a door straight off its hinges. A scream erupted through the air, "It's got Dave!" someone cried out as Grievers filed around the Homestead. They acted as an army, waiting for their victim to emerge while looking for other, easier targets despite its gurgling flesh and deformed figure, with different knives and sharp objects poking out, all tools to kill with. Alexander could only see a dark figure, he heard the scream of its victim as he was dragged out. It was then that one of his hands was left cold.

He watched as Thomas jumped up, running after the retreating Grievers. Alexander's eyes widened while another scream erupted from his right. "Tommy!" Newt hollered, jumping up and practically tripping over his scattered blanket before bolting from the building. Alexander quickly got his feet under him, he started immediately after Newt when he felt hands come down on both of his shoulders, holding him back. He turned to see Minho, a stern expression on his face.

Alexander pointed towards the door frantically, starting to explain, but Minho shook his head. "No," he said bluntly, not having time to waste. He picked Alexander swiftly up, ignoring the boy's protests. He spun on his heel scanning the room, and then Alexander felt himself being passed off to a nearby Glader. He then heard the orders that Minho shouted, for him to be taken to his room, and for someone to be with him at all times. With that, Minho ran off. And by the time Alexander had turned himself around in the stranger's arms, he was already out the door. The young boy didn't hesitate to call out with his mind.

' _Minho! Be careful!'_ he sent, having to think carefully to get it to his through the chaos. He imagined the words dodging through the Gladers that hustled about, and going straight to Minho. Alexander squirmed around until the boy set him down, and they proceeded to walk up the stairs and into his room. He grudgingly walked to his bed, and then crawled on top before fixing himself under the covers.

Alexander tried to close his eyes, tried to fall asleep. But he found himself unable to concentrate after hearing the familiar voices of his friends. Especially Thomas's strained voice, he sound weak. The boy bolted up, he remained in bed, but his eyes blinked rapidly as they followed the gang of Gladers that carried Thomas.

They hefted him up onto a table and then shuffled around a bit, most moving towards the back of the room. The last thing Alexander watched before the door was slammed shut was Newt running across the room and out of Alexander's vision for a second, he had swiped a syringe off a battered table before running back towards Thomas and plunging it into his arm.


	18. Group B's Escape

**Wild Things by Alessia Cara. See, we do have a sense of humor!**

Leah yawned, rolling over and pulling her sheets over herself. She wished she could disappear under them. With everything going on, she didn't want to face the day. She closed her eyes and just as she was about to drift back to sleep, the blankets were whipped off of her, cold air rushing to greet her sleepy form. The girl groaned, rolling onto her back before prying open her eyes. Natasha stood in front of her, arms crossed over her chest. "Time to get up," she said, looking to the little girl with a stern expression that was instantly broken by Leah's smile. "Ten more minutes?" she pleaded, grabbing at the foot of her bed in search of her blanket.

"Wish I could kid," Natasha said. She reached forward, scooping her up and setting her on top of her shoulders. She swiped Leah's shoes from the floor before heading for the door. Leah secured her hands tightly on the older girl's shoulders and ducked under the door frame as they left the room. Natasha's hair flew out behind her as she pounded down the steps and out the door. Leah shifted herself a bit, linking her arm around Natasha's neck to balance herself before gathering the girl's hair in her fist and shoving it over her shoulder.

Natasha let out a laugh, it rang out through the Maze like a set of bells. The sound of laughter hadn't been heard much since the deaths, but even in a time of such darkness Leah could make her smile. "In your way again?" she questioned, referencing her hair as they approached the kitchen. Leah sighed. "It alway is…" she mumbled, letting her own grin shine through.

They walked to the kitchen window where Natasha squatted down, letting Leah climb off her back. She handed the girl her shoes and waited for a second as she slipped them on. Leah then snatched up a plate and a drink. The head chef looked down at her, smiling at the young girl. "Morning Leah," she said softly. Leah smiled back. "Hey Karen!" she said, the smell from the food wafting up and making her stomach growl. Karen nodded, seeing she wanted to eat. "Get outta here," she said jokingly.

Leah turned to go, but then pivoted back. She wrapped her free arm around Natasha, knowing her friend was heading out to the Maze. Natasha rested her hand on Leah's back. The girl looked at her with puppy dog eyes, not wanting her to go. Natasha took the bag Karen handed her and shouldered it before squatting down to Leah's level. "Listen," she started, sincerity apparent in her voice. "We know it's a code, we found the escape. This'll be one of my last days out there." Leah looked down for a second, she was nervous about the escape. But Natasha, Rachel, Harriet, and many others had taught her to be brave. She raised her chin, looking back at the older girl. She gave a nod and hugged her one more time before she ran off to the Maze, disappearing within the ivy strewn walls.

Leah hesitated a second and then decided to eat in the Central. She sent a quick wave at the cook at the headed towards the building. Once inside she walked into the LS room. The few LS's sat lazily around the room. It didn't surprise to her that their doctors had found themselves with nothing to do, they planned to escape later that day. The runners had gone out to scout out the Maze and make sure nothing abnormal lurked around.

Leah walked over to one of the examination tables, she set her plate on it then leaned forward on her hands, boosting herself onto the table. She pushed the rest of herself up using her knees. After settling herself she swiped up her plate and balanced it on her lap, proceeding to spoon bits of egg into her mouth. "Leah," said Amy as she walked from the connecting room into the one the young girl ate in. Leah looked up from her plate and smiled towards the familiar voice. "Amy!" she said happily.

The doctor was carrying bundles of bandages, she opened her arms and dumped them onto the table Leah sat on. She leaned over a bit, eyeing them curiously. "They're for the escape," Amy explained, answering her unasked question. "All of the LS's will be carrying bandages, syringes, and healing herbs." Leah nodded, "Will I be carrying any?" Amy didn't smile often, but she did then. "Of course you will, we'll need as many as we got. Speaking of, do you mind finding Sonya and getting some Arnica?" The girl nodded, finishing up her food before heading off towards the Gardens to collect the herb.

There weren't as many girls hanging around the Gardens as usual, most didn't see the point of working seeing as they were leaving soon. But Sonya was still hoeing at the ground, accompanied by a few other girls. She smiled when she noticed Leah's presence, setting her hoe down and walking over. "What's up?" she asked lightly. "I need Arnica," Leah said, scanning around the Gardens for the plant. "Sure," the older girl replied, gesturing for Leah to follow her as she carefully crossed over the loose dirt, not wanting to step on the growing plants. Regardless of their leaving soon, the blonde would still snap a neck if anyone touched her plants.

They approached the corner of the garden where they were different bundles of leafy plants. Leah identified the Arnica and bent down, picking some of the petaled plant. Sonya crouched down next to her and pulled her knife, cutting the entire bush with one swipe. "Might as well take it all," she said, passing the chopped plants to Leah. "It won't do us much good left here," the girl explained. Leah wrapped her fingers around the large group of stems, struggling to grip them all. Sonya chuckled. "I'll help," she said, stealing some back.

The two walked back to the Central together, and into the 'hospital' wing. Amy had bags lined up across the tables, one for every LS, and a few extra. In reality, she was quite worried for the escape. Amy was already doing all she could, she'd go to any length to ensure more survivors. "Borrowing from the Runners?" Sonya asked, pulling Amy out of her thoughts and drawing her attention towards the pile of flowery herbs lazily thrown out onto the table. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise, _I wasn't expecting the whole bush,_ she thought to herself as she nabbed a few off the table, beginning to stuff the strapped bags.

"I tried to find small bags," Amy said. "Didn't want them to get in the way of-" her eyes flickered towards Leah and her sentence ran unfinished, but Sonya nodded anyways. Her gaze drifted towards the blurry window. Even through the stains she could still see the heavy walls that they'd be running through. The walls that had kept them in horrid sanctuary for two years. None of them knew what would lie behind the walls, and many worried for their own lives; but most worried for Leah's above their own. Her eyes drifted to the young girl, remembering how worried they'd all been when she came up.

 _Harriet sealed her hands around the steel handle to the box, she nodded at the blonde across from her and then they both heaved the doors upwards. She leaned back, using her weight against it. It moaned in protest, she pulled back once more and it gave way. After it stood straight she released the handle, letting gravity take it to the ground. She stepped to the front of the box, squatting down and putting her hand against the grass for balance. Harriet flipped her legs into the open air of the box and landed firmly onto the hard floor of the shaky elevator. She spotted the newbie huddled into the corner. Harriet took a step forward, doing a double take. Something seemed… Off. "Hello?" she said softly, the girl pulled her head out of her arms. Her red-rimmed teary eyes meeting Harriet's astonished ones. Astonished because, she'd figured out what was off. The girl was a…. Child._

Sonya remembered looking down on it all and then trying desperately to convince people that the young girl couldn't be a bad omen. A fiery anger was rekindled in the pit of her stomach as she remembered the horrible things that had been said about such a young girl. _Sticks..._ She thought bitterly as she watched Leah run her hands through her hair, trying to unknot it. Sonya hoisted herself onto the table behind her, and then called Leah over.

Leah squared her shoulders, standing up straight as Sonya worked out the knots in her hair. She then ran her fingers through it a few times, smoothing out the girl's auburn hair. After brushing it out as well as she could, she parted the hair into thirds and began intertwining them. Leah felt a braid running through her hair, Sonya's gentle fingers skimming over the base of the girl's skull. She pulled a rubber band from her wrist and tied off the braid, then threw it over Leah's shoulder. The girl turned around, a smile sprawled across her face. "Thank you," she said softly.

Sonya smiled. "Anytime," she said lightly, jumping from the table to stand steadily on the ground. "I'm gonna go check things out in the Glade, see if the Runners are back yet." Amy looked up, nodding towards her friend. "Leah," the doctor started, "why don't you help me pack up these bags?" Leah bobbed her head up and down as she unclasped one of the bags.

Sonya strode out of the Central, scanning around the Glade for the Runners. They were huddled by the Map Room, talking eagerly amongst themselves. If anyone was excited to leave, it was them. They weren't worried, their whole lives, or as much of them as they could remember, revolved around running the Maze. Now, they could finally leave it.

Sonya ran up to them, smiling as they turned to her. "So, what'd ya' got?" "Nothing. Absolutely nothing." Diana answered, a thin smile crossing her face. Sonya bit her lip. "And that's…" "Good," The Runner assured, "great, actually. Nothing means no Grievers or anything else." Sonya nodded her head, smiling brightly. "Good then we leave tonight."

 _Meanwhile..._

Thomas gasped as more tremors swept through his body, along with a fresh wave of memories. It was just bits and pieces so far, Ava Paige mainly. He knew he had worked with W.I.C.K.E.D., helped build the Maze, and he was one of Ava's favorites. He was the one to do the main work, aside from the more important stuff that Janson handled. _Janson_. He knew the name, but couldn't put a face to it.

The memories were starting to slowly get clearer, the bits and pieces floating together like a puzzle. It was a bigger picture, he knew it. There was a reason they were in the Maze… there was a way to get out. Yes. The Griever Hole. That's what the big shots called it. There was a computer… a Code. The Maze was a code. The changes in the Maze… He had done this before. They had prepared him for it. Layering… The pattern… it was all a pattern.

His eyes snapped open with a gasp. It wasn't like the classical waking though. He didn't sit ramrod straight, or freak out. He stiffened, sitting up slowly and evenly, looking around the room at the Med-Jacks tending to the other patients on the floor, saw Minho and Newt asleep in chairs by his bed. He looked out the window to the grey skies, and everything flashed back to him. The pattern, the code… The Maze itself. His eyes widened and he smacked Minho's arm, waking the boy from his slumber.

 _Back to Group B..._

"Okay!" Sonya shouted. They had all been gathered in the middle of the Glade, Sonya was standing on top of a pile of stacked crates to be seen. "We're getting out of here, once and for all. If you don't have a weapon, step up. Because you're gonna need one." A few girls shuffled forward, receiving weapons of all sorts. Most were covered in layer of dust, having never been used, but by the end of today they'd be spattered in blood and Griever guts.

"Remember the game plan!" Sonya said, the crowd hushing quiet at the sound of her voice. "Get Rachel, Natasha, and Leah into the Griever Hole, keep any Grievers from getting in. Understood?" There were nods of heads throughout the crowd, along with shouts of 'Yeah!' And a few, "okays!"

"We're going into Griever territory. Anyone too squeamish can speak up now. We don't need anyone passing out on us when we're in there." Sonya continued, looking around at the faces of the gathered crowd. Some showed fear, or worry, but most showed determination. They were ready. And No-one said a word, no one backed down. All of them were leaving. Sonya and Harriet had counted, including themselves, there was 73 girls total. 73 girls were running into the Maze tonight, and she had no idea if all of them would make it out alive.

She couldn't think about that though. She had to put on a brave face. Her and Harriet both. The rest of the girls were looking up to them. With that thought she turned, jumping off the crates and walking calmly to the Maze. No sense in wasting energy now, they might need it later. She looked down, taking a deep breath as her foot hit stone.


	19. One-Shot RequestsAuthor's Note

Hey guys! We've already posted today's chapter, and just wanted to go over a few things. We're starting a one shot book, and wanted to start it off with a requested one shot. Some stuff we'll do is..

1.) Write you guys in the Glade! Leave a comment saying you'd like to be written in as a character in a one shot, we'll PM you asking about yourself so we'll know what to write. (We won't ask for anything personal, just some basic info so the Gladers can get to know the awesome person you are. :) )

2.) Any alternate universe things. For example, the Glader attending school, or the Gladers when they're older. Stuff like that.

3.) Any basic one shot ideas you have, so just basic requests.

So please leave a comment! We'll get it written and posted as soon as we can! Once we get our first comment this description will be moved to the one shot book. So, make sure you comment on that, as opposed to this after we receive our first comment here. Okay. Now I feel like I'm repeating myself.

Another quick note, thank you so much so everyone reading, commenting, favoriting and all that stuff! We may not have a huge amount of readers but we love the ones that are reading. So once again, thank you so much. Have a great day/night.


	20. The Maps

**Maps by Maroon 5. See what we did there? We're taking a small break of sorts, we need a few days with everything going on right now. Have a good day/night!**

Minho felt a touch on his arm, pulling him from his sleep. "Uhhhh…" he groaned, lifting his head from the odd angle it had been bent. The Runner glanced to his left seeing Newt's sleeping figure. He shook his head, deciding to let the boy sleep a few more minutes. While he watched Newt there was another slap against his arm, and he turned in annoyance to see Thomas awake, his eyes bulging.

A smile spread across his face. "Thomas," he said, happy they'd gotten the serum inside him in time. The boy looked to Minho. "Call a gathering," he said in monotone voice. Minho's eyebrows knit together, and he disregarded what he'd thought earlier. He nudged Newt awake, his eyes not leaving Thomas. "Serious?" he said, questioning the boy. He'd thought Thomas would want more sleep, or a bit of food. A gathering seemed like an odd request. In response Thomas turned to glare, looking as if he was about to jump from the bed and tackle him to the ground. Minho quickly raised both his hands in defeat.

Newt unhappily stood from his chair, stretching his legs out in front of him. "We're doing what?" he asked in a tired voice, blinking the grogginess out of his eyes. "Calling a gathering," Minho answered, sounding unsure of himself. He stood and started towards the door. Newt let out a sigh, Gatherings were always a pain. "This better be bloody good Tommy," he muttered following Minho towards the door. They were about to head down the stairs when a tired sounding yawn was heard from a few rooms down, causing them both to stop, turning in the direction of the small noise. Minho started towards the room. "You go," he said, "I'll get Alec." Newt nodded, hurrying out the door to find Alby.

Alexander yawned, rolling over slowly. The events from the night before were flashing through his mind. His next immediate thought was of Thomas, _was he okay?_ Alexander decided to test his latest theory, in an attempt to check on the boy. He found that whenever he called out to someone with his mind, he could feel their aura. He could feel their emotion, whether or not they were sad, happy, worried… But when Brenden had died, he found himself unable to sense it anymore. With anyone else it would work, but Alexander had never been able to talk to Thomas in the way he could talk to others. He still thought there'd be a possibly of him being able to sense his aura, regardless of whether or not he could send thoughts to him.

He pictured Thomas's face and thought of the distance between them, as if he were about to send a thought to him. Instead of doing so, he thought more of Thomas. To Alexander's dismay, he didn't feel any sort of emotion overtake him. He sighed, wishing he knew whether or not his friend was okay. He heard the hinges on the door squeak and his head snapped up to see Minho walk into the room, sending a weak smile towards the boy. Despite his long sleep, the Runner was purely exhausted.

"Hey kiddo," Minho said softly. Alexander smiled slightly, looking over to the door behind him. "Thomas is fine," Minho said firmly, looking at the boy in amusement. "He's awake and talking. That's actually why I came in here. We're calling a Gathering, so you're gonna have to hang out with Chuck for a little bit, okay? Then you can see Thomas." Alexander bit his lip, scrunching up his eyebrows. He wanted to see Thomas _now_. But… he could wait. He _would_ wait. He nodded his head. "Okay. Where is he?" Minho smiled. "I think he's out by the trees. That's usually where he sleeps."

Alexander nodded, jumping up and giving Minho a quick hug before walking down the hall. He slowed slightly while passing the room Thomas lay in, no noise sounded from the room. Maybe he was already up and about. Alexander shook his head. It was no good to think about Thomas and drive himself crazy with 'what if's'. He just had to wait and see. He walked down the steps, skipping the last one in favor of jumping down. He jogged out, looking over to the trees and spying Chuck's sleeping form. He made his way over, stepping over sleeping bodies and trying to be quiet. Once he made his way to Chuck he decided to let the boy sleep, choosing instead to walk into the trees, making his way to the corner.

He got to the corner of the Glade, sitting and sighing softly in content. It was so quiet here, you couldn't see the grey sky, couldn't be reminded of everything wrong that was going on. It was just peaceful silence. And he reveled in it. He looked up and smiled softly at a beetle blade that ducked out of view, thinking back to what Newt had said about his mom watching him. She wouldn't let him get hurt. Not seriously. He was sure of it.

He sat there for a few minutes, just breathing and listening to the quiet, distant noises of the Glade. His mind continually wandered back to Thomas, he'd never seen someone get stung before. He shook his head, he had to find something to do. He got his feet under him, pushing himself up and deciding to head to the kitchen. Lately, Frypan hadn't needed much help, but there must be something to do. He'd even settle for dishes.

Alexander picked up the pace, jogging through the Glade to the battered building known as the kitchen. He pushed open the door and walked in, he paused to suck in a breath. A tangy smell filled the small area. It made his stomach growl. He realized then he missed working in the kitchen. Frypan looked up from the onions he was chopping to smile at the boy. "Come to help?" he questioned while picking up the cutting board and holding it over the boiling water, using his other hand to swipe in the onions. Alexander nodded. "Yup!" he said happily, walking further into the kitchen.

Frypan set the cutting board down and gestured towards the sink. "You probably guessed it, but there are some dishes that need washin'." Alexander mockingly frowned. "Not dishes!" he said, sarcasm leaking from his words. Frypan gave his stew one last stir before turning and ruffling Alexander's hair. "Dishes it is," he said through a chuckle.

The young boy grabbed a stool from a nearby table and dragged it over to the sink. He braced his hands on the counter and stepped up onto the stool, switching on the water and locking the drain, prompting the warming water to pool in the sink. Alexander started placing the different cups and plates into the water, letting them soak before grabbing the sponge and soaking it as well. He squirted on some soap and ran the sponge over a dirtied pan. The hardened potatoes washed off easier after being soaked. He set it on the other side of the sink and moved onto the next plate.

The boy moved through the rest of the dishes, having to reapply soap a few different times. The dishes had piled up a bit, so by the time Alexander had finished up, Frypan's stew was fully cooked and ready to be dished out. He snatched a towel from a rusty hook and wiped his hands dry. While doing so he walked towards the cook, setting the towel down on the counter before getting some bowls from the cupboard and laying them out for Frypan to spoon the soup into.

The cook ladled the same proportion in every bowl, moving slowly between them. Alexander grabbed two of the filled bowls, soup sloshing as he hurried them toward the ledge. Ten minutes later Alexander was leaned against a wall breathing heavily, finding himself out of breath. All the boys in the Glade had their breakfast and were chowing down, enjoying the break from Frypan's infamous salads. The only boys that weren't, were the ones resting in the kitchen. But that would soon be changed, scrapes rang out from the bottom of Frypan's pot as the cook split the remainder of the soup between himself and Alexander.

They both ate through the food quickly, Alexander barely bothering to chew. He spooned the last bit of broth into his mouth, and then leaned back against the wall. Frypan stood after finishing his own food, he swiped up the boy's dish and placed it in the sink before shooing Alexander from the kitchen. He waved towards Frypan, entering back into the open Glade. He scanned around the broad space, searching for something to do. He started towards Minho and his room, deciding to play with some of the older boy's knick knacks.

 _Meanwhile_... Newt nodded towards Minho. "You guys get out into the Glade. I'll get some people working on this." They both nodded towards him as all four of them walked from the Map Room, parting their different ways. Newt let out a breath, turning towards Alby. "You stay here, I'll direct people and you tell 'em what to do." Their leader nodded. "Good that."

Newt started towards the Homestead, knowing he'd find a good gathering of Gladers around there. Thoughts dashed around in his mind as he walked, threatening a headache. Honestly, he couldn't believe it. Two years in the place and they'd finally started to crack the code. They might actually get out, might actually escape the shuckin' place. Who knew what would happen from there? Who knew what _could_ happen? Newt shook his head, no point in dwelling on it. He was finally nearing the Homestead when he spotted Alexander's figure, he called out to the boy. Him and his gift could shorten the searching process by a good twenty minutes.

Alexander ran towards Newt, looking happily up towards the boy. Newt crouched down to his level, and began listing out the names of different Gladers, instructing Alexander on who to talk to, and what to tell them. The boy bobbed his head up and down, sending a single line out to the chosen people. He scrunched up his face, having to concentrate. Sending thoughts to more than one person took a little thought. He pictured the different names and faces, and then thought of a hollow vine linking them together. ' _Go to the Map Room.'_ He thought towards the different people, thinking of the words hitting the vine and traveling towards the separate people.

After it was sent, Alexander nodded towards Newt. "Done," he said firmly. "What was it for?" Newt hesitated, unsure of whether or not to tell the boy of their findings. But he'd proven his ability to keep a secret, so he gestured for Alexander to follow him as he started back towards the cement building that housed the many maps. He explained as they walked, explained that the tracing of the maps would spell out words, and those words could be the key to their escape. A smile grew across Alexander's face. "I'll get to see my mom!" Newt smiled as they approached the Map-room, he pulled open the door, holding it for the boy before letting it clang shut behind him.

Alexander looked around the small room. Many boys were clustered around inside, their head bent over pages of wax paper as they drug a marker over it, making out different lines. He spotted Chuck near the back of the room, he looked happy to help with his fellow Gladers. Alexander settled back into the corner, wanting to stay out of the way. His eyes darted around the room, excitement growing inside him. Excitement to find out what the maps would spell out, excitement to escape, excitement to hug his mommy... He could picture it in his head, he would run up to her and throw his arm around her. And she'd squeeze him tight, and explain everything to him. After that, she'd meet all of his friends, and everyone would be happy.

 _At least, that's what he hoped for._


	21. ONE SHOT REQUESTS FOR GUEST

Guests can participate in the one shot thing, just leave a brief description of what you want and we'll try to work with it. If it's about you, leave a hair color and eye color. We'll let you guys know when it's posted. So far we love the requests we've gotten, so keep them coming! Thank you MazeRunnerJunkie for bringing this to our attention. :)

The last few chlaters will be posted soon, we've both got some stuff filling our schedules right now and they'll be posted as soon as possible. Thanks for reading, you're all wonderful people! Have a good day/night.


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